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Say US-China War Could See Both...

1st Conflict In Outer

Space: Officials Say US-
China War Could See Both
Nations Trying To
Neutralize Precision-Strike
Capabilities
By Ashish Dangwal - March 22, 2023

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As the likelihood of a conflict between the

United States and China grows over Taiwan,
some Pentagon officials have now warned that
if China invaded Taiwan, “war could very well
kick off in outer space.”

According to multiple Pentagon sources quoted

by American television journalist Norah O’Donnell
in a recent CBS broadcast aired on March 19,
hostilities could also start in outer space if China
attacks Taiwan. 

The officials made this prediction in a “60

Minutes” episode on Taiwan about the status of
the US Navy amid China’s military buildup. The
officials noted that Washington and Beijing will
aim to destroy each other’s satellites that “enable
precision-guided weaponry.”

They went on to say that this might be followed by

cyber strikes on US cities and sabotaging US
West Coast ports. 

The US Pacific Fleet commander, Samuel John

Paparo, was questioned by O’Donnell about what
the US would do if a more severe crisis broke out
in the South China Sea or with Taiwan. 

Soldiers of the PLA Southern Theater Command provide

cover for a simulated amphibious landing operation on
February 8, 2022

Paparo responded, “We’ll hope that they’ll answer

the phone. Else, we’ll do our very best
assessment based on the things that they say in
open source and based on their behavior to divine
their intentions. And we’ll act accordingly.”

When asked to name the most threatening aspect

of China’s military modernization during the
previous two decades, USN Admiral Michael
Gilday responded that, in addition to the increase
of China’s conventional forces, the expansion of
its cyber and space capabilities is also alarming.

Gilday further explained that the United States is

concerned about how the People’s Liberation
Army Navy is forcing other countries’ fleets out of
particular areas of the South China Sea and that
rather than adhering to international law, “they
[PLA Navy] want to control where those goods
flow and how.”

In the past few months, tensions between the

United States and China have risen dramatically.
On January 28, a suspected Chinese spy high-
altitude balloon was sighted in American airspace
and went across multiple states before being
taken down by a missile on February 4 this year.

File Image:

Taiwan President’s Visit To

The US
As Taiwan’s president prepares to travel to the
United States, the Biden administration has asked
China not to use the trip to inflame tensions. 

In the upcoming weeks, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-

wen intends to make stops in New York and Los
Angeles en route to and from official visits to
Guatemala and Belize. 

On March 21, the presidential office officially

confirmed Tsai’s plans, which include a two-night
visit to New York starting on March 29 and
another two-night stop in Los Angeles beginning
on April 4 before returning to Taiwan.

Since taking office in 2016, President Tsai has

successfully made such stops without much of
China’s response, according to the US official.
Among those scheduled to meet Tsai in the
United States is House Speaker Kevin McCarthy,
who has advocated for a tough stance towards
Beijing.

Beijing considers Taiwan a part of its territory and

has not ruled out using force to seize control of
the island. 

Chinese troops practicing house-breaching and room-

clearing tactics

In response to Nancy Pelosi, McCarthy’s

predecessor, visiting Taipei in August 2022,
Beijing conducted live-fire drills near Taiwan.
Beijing considered the visit by a senior US official
to be an infringement of both its sovereignty and
the one-China policy.

Taiwanese Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng has

warned that if McCarthy visits Taiwan, Beijing may
send warships close to the island, potentially
sparking an unexpected clash.

The US State Department in Washington said that

high-level transits by Taiwanese officials align with
US policy that has been in place for a while, as
well as unofficial and solid ties with Taiwan. 

A senior US official said, “We see no reason for

Beijing to turn this transit, again, which is
consistent with long-standing US policy, into
anything but what it is. It should not be used as a
pretext to step up any aggressive activity around
the Taiwan Strait.”

Notwithstanding the current tensions, President

Biden has said he expects to speak with President
Xi Jinping. However, there is no scheduled time
frame for this discussion, and Chinese officials
have suggested it might not happen until after
Tsai’s trip.

Contact the author

at ashishmichel(at)gmail.com
Follow EurAsian Times on Google News

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Ashish Dangwal
Ashish Dangwal holds a Master's degree in East-
Asian studies and has a deep interest in Defence
and Geopolitics related issues. He is interested in
the impact of technology on foreign policy
objectives as well as geopolitical operationality in
the Indo-Pacific. Contact:
ashishmichel@gmail.com

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