After the Winter Olympics' Grand Spectacle comes to a close in Beijing, in late February, multiple threats of conflict may arise in 2022 as China looks out for greater dominance in Taiwan, Soloman Islands, Lithuania, Greenland, Horn of Africa, reported Policy Research Group (POREG).
The Chinese are keen to see the US response on Ukraine as much as Russia is however President Biden, unlike the tweet-friendly Donald Trump is treading very carefully whether it is Ukraine or the South China Sea.
Ukraine is not in the area of American influence since it is located far from American coastlines. The US must stretch its resources to maintain its interest in the South China Sea. However, China is not waiting for any move by the US as it has already amped up its influence on Taiwan, Policy Research Group reported.
China, particularly in the Ladakh region of India, is fortifying its side of the border with good roads and bridges and is giving Chinese names to the towns in Arunachal Pradesh. Because China is still healing from last year's diplomatic and military snub, President Xi Jinping may not be itching for a showdown with India. He will, however, not be reluctant to take military risks elsewhere for short-term gain.
What if Beijing closes the Taiwan Strait to sea traffic and declares the East and South China seas no-fly zones, claiming that both are 'sovereign Chinese territory', said the POREG.
To make it a success, President Xi Jinping will have to first assemble a multi-platform assault force on the Chinese coast close to Taiwan, it observed.
Peter Jennings, executive director of Australian Strategic Policy Institute, (ASPI), a defence and strategic policy think tank based in Canberra said that China on Taiwan will be no more than a replay of Putin's tactics over Ukraine.
China, on the other hand, is also aiding the Solomon Islands and seeking to grow dominance.
All this has security implications to the dismay of neighbours, as South Asia realised after Sri Lanka's tryst with China!, reported POREG.
Lithuania's deepening ties with Taiwan has further gotten an aggressive posture from China which has threatened an economic blockade - exclusion of Lithuanian entities from the Chinese market.
Greenland is another emerging sphere of conflict as the Chinese investment hawks trade influence for funds. If Greenland tries to move toward independence, it may attract Chinese investment to tide over its troubles.
China will become increasingly involved in the Horn of Africa by 2022 as Beijing has just appointed a special envoy to the region. Even though Eritrea is under US sanctions, the country's relationship with China has been elevated to a "strategic alliance."
( With inputs from ANI )
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