Japan expects that President Xi will prioritize the contested islands after Taiwan.
Japan expects that President Xi will prioritize the contested islands after Taiwan.
The year 2022 has turned out to be another landmark in world history. The year saw a war in a developed country, on the continent of Europe, after decades. North Korea boosted its missile capabilities. Iran inched closer to a nuclear weapon, dragging its feet with the Nuclear Deal revival. And China, under the third-term President Xi Jinping, continued its saber-rattling, breaching Taiwan’s airspace multiple times and stoking tensions in its neighborhood.
President Xi’s ambition to “unify” Taiwan is well known. Lesser known fact: beyond Taiwan lie a group of islands that China claims as its own. These mostly uninhabited atolls and isles are a bone of contention between Tokyo and Beijing. The rich marine resources and oil deposits make these specks of land coveted real estate. Chinese naval vessels have made their presence felt more frequently in the region.
Many believe that China now feels emboldened to move on Taiwan.
