Taipei [Taiwan], March 2 : China's military expansion in the southern part of the first island chain poses a significant danger to Taiwan's liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies, a defence analyst cautioned in a report by the Taipei Times.
In a bulletin published on the National Defence and Security Research's website on Thursday, Huang Tsung-ting indicated that China could potentially disrupt Taiwan's energy sources.
Since last year, China has fortified its position in the southern area of the first island chain, frequently with support from Russia, he noted, as reported by Taipei Times.
In May of that year, a fleet of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), which included a Type 054A destroyer, a Type 055 destroyer, a Type 052D destroyer, and a Type 0903 supply ship, was observed in the Sibutu Passage, a crucial maritime route off Malaysia connecting the Sulu Sea and Celebes Sea, he mentioned.
In June of the same year, another PLAN group featuring a Type 071 amphibious transport dock and three other warships was detected in waters southeast of Pilas Island in the Sulu Archipelago and north of Santa Cruz Island in the Basilan Strait, he stated, according to Taipei Times.
In July, Russia conducted the Ocean-2024 exercise in the South China Sea, a major naval drill involving over 400 ships, submarines, support vessels, and 120 naval aircraft, where China took part as a principal partner, he explained.
In October of that same year, a PLAN carrier strike group led by the aircraft carrier Liaoning was seen heading towards Sulawesi island in Indonesia, located southeast of the Philippine island of Mindanao, Huang reported.
The Taipei Times report underscored that these actions demonstrated an intention not only to secure an alternative maritime route to the Malacca Strait but also to threaten a communication line critical for Taiwan during wartime for its energy procurement, Huang noted.
Interrupting Taiwan's access to LNG would greatly diminish the nation's ability to withstand challenges during a conflict, he emphasized.
Huang called for the government to closely monitor and react to the evolving situation in collaboration with allied countries, including the US and Japan, while enhancing intelligence sharing with the Philippines.
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