For subscribers
China-US war of words: Is Taiwan Strait international waters?
China has recently begun a campaign to reject the idea that the strait can be considered 'international waters'. A look at what's behind this push.
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
Han Yong Hong
Since China's military reiterated that it would not hesitate to start a war over Taiwan, Beijing and Washington have been wrangling over the international positioning of the Taiwan Strait, and whether it is considered international waters.
This may seem like a squabble over semantics and concepts, but it is in fact Beijing showing its hand to Washington, increasing the likelihood of skirmishes between China and the United States in the Taiwan Strait.
