Anyone who tried to separate Taiwan from China would be “crushed to pieces,” he said during the premier defense summit. Past Chinese defense ministers have made similar threats to those of Dong. However, the US has made its intentions clear regarding this “offshore battle” — it aims to deter China from launching a sudden attack. Once all hell breaks loose in the Taiwan Strait, China worries that others would follow suit. Given the low morale of the Chinese military, can the armed forces really afford to battle on four different fronts simultaneously?
