China contemplating attack on Taiwan, leaked audio clip suggests
China may be planning an attack on Taiwan, an audio clip leaked by a human rights activist suggests so, as per an HT report. It said the 57-minute clip reveals China's top military commander contemplating a battle in Taiwan including cyber strikes. Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden said that it would use force to defend Taiwan in case of a Chinese invasion.
Why does this story matter?
While Taiwan remains self-ruled, China claims the island as its own that must be reunited with the mainland. Notably, the US-Taiwan proximity has grown under the American administrations of Donald Trump (2017-2021) and Joe Biden (incumbent). The US's commitment under the Taiwan Relations Act to provide Taiwan with military support to defend itself is also viewed as an affront to China.
Audio is the first-ever recording of Chinese military huddle: Report
Jennifer Zeng, a Chinese-born human rights activist, posted the viral audio on Twitter. It has already caused a stir in Beijing after being broadcast by the YouTube channel LUDE media. According to HT, it's the first-ever recording of a Chinese military brass huddle in the country. The recording was reportedly released by a top Chinese Communist Party official in order to expose President Xi.
Look at the Twitter post shared by Zeng
What does the audiotape reveal?
The audio recording contains reported exchanges between the CPC and the People's Liberation Army (PLA) at a meeting about implementing the roadmap for a war plan. Meanwhile, there has been no response to this viral recording, it is possible that the audio was obtained in Taiwan. Notably, the recording remains unconfirmed, but its contents have been investigated by security organizations all around the world.
Who all attended the secret meeting?
According to the audiotape, the high-level meeting was attended by Guangdong's party secretary, deputy secretary, governor, and vice-governor. Major General Zhou He, commander of the Guangdong Military Region, standing committee member of the Guangdong Provincial Committee Wang Shouxin, and political commissar of the Guangdong Military Region are among the top People's Liberation Army leaders present.
What did the meeting discuss?
The summit, as per the tape, focused on 'smashing Taiwan independence forces and not being afraid to launch a war, forcefully safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity,' a crucial strategic decision made by Chinese President Xi Jinping. It was reportedly suggested at the conference to establish a joint civilian-military command and plan-deploy-organize the province's normal-to-war transition.
'Huge military build-up by in Guangdong province'
According to the audio, the eastern and southern war zones assigned a total of 20 categories and 239 materials to the Guangdong province. It has 1.40 lakh military soldiers, 953 ships, 1,653 unmanned equipment units, 20 airports and docks, six repair and shipbuilding yards, 14 emergency transfer centers, and supplies like food depots, hospitals, and blood stations, oil depots, petrol stations, among other things.
How did US President Biden react?
Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden on Monday said he would be willing to use force to defend Taiwan from China if the latter invaded the island nation. When asked if the US would intervene militarily against a Chinese attempt to forcibly take control of Taiwan, he said, "That's the commitment we made." Biden added China was flirting with danger by flying close to Taiwan.
