Taiwan's Message for China: We Have a Nuke-Like Weapon
by Gordon G. Chang • June 27, 2022 at 5:00 am
At least one of Taiwan's "eggs" can kill tens of millions of Chinese, perhaps more.
China's Three Gorges Dam creates a reservoir of 39.3 billion cubic meters of water on the Yangtze River and is upstream from about 400 million people. Almost 30% of China's population, therefore, is at risk of a catastrophic failure of the structure, such as one caused by a missile strike. That means Taiwan possesses a conventional weapon that packs the wallop of a nuclear one.
Now, China's regime looks as if it wants to go to war. The harsh remarks of China's Defense Minister, General Wei Fenghe, at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore this month, are a clear warning of hostile intent.
China has targets, and Taiwan has missiles. That translates into deterrence if Taiwan makes it clear that, in the defense of its sovereignty, it is prepared to take Chinese lives in the hundreds of millions.
Yes, we are that close to war.
On June 21, China's People's Daily reported that the United States and Taiwan were about to participate in the annual Monterey Talks. The U.S. side, China's most authoritative publication stated, was expected to offer 20 types of weapons for sale to Taiwan, "with emphasis on building 'asymmetric capability.'"
Taiwan, which the People's Republic of China claims as its 34th province, already has asymmetric capabilities, and one of them could be as powerful as a nuclear weapon.
Beijing maintains that Taiwan cannot defend itself. "Military expert Song Zhongping said it is impossible for Taiwan to form 'asymmetric capabilities,' no matter what kind of weapons it purchases from the U.S. as the gap between the military capacities of the two sides is 'too huge,'" People's Daily, a Communist Party newspaper, reported.
