What should India do if China invades Taiwan?

In August, three recently-retired chiefs of Indian armed services travelled to Taipei to attend a security dialogue organised by Taiwan’s foreign ministry.

The visit came at a time when India is reportedly studying possible responses to instability and conflict over a possible invasion of Taiwan by China. Such a Taiwan contingency raises significant concerns for India, especially economic concerns, observers say.

Moreover, India’s strengthening security partnership with the United States – which has vowed to defend Taiwan against Chinese aggression – may lead to Delhi getting dragged into such a conflict, they say.

The Taiwan flashpoint

China considers Taiwan a breakaway province and believes that reunification with it is the unfinished agenda. In recent years, Beijing has said it is willing to use force to take control of Taiwan even as Chinese President Xi Jinping has told his military to “be ready” by 2027. This has led to increasing concerns in Taipei and Washington about a possible conflict with China.

While the US does not recognise Taiwan as an independent nation, it has repeatedly vowed to help defend Taiwan against Chinese aggression. Its Taiwan Relations Act mandates Washington to assist Taiwan. The US’ backing of Taiwan, however, is mainly aimed at maintaining the balance of power against China in the Indo-Pacific region – making Taiwan a prominent geopolitical flashpoint of...

Read more