Taiwan reports more Chinese ships, concern over Pacific supply routes
Taiwan is recording a sharp rise in Chinese ship activity and is warning of risks to Pacific supply routes. At the same time, Western reports decry a campaign by Beijing to economically and socially 'suffocate' Taiwan. US Secretary of State Rubio nonetheless affirmed that Xi Jinping's planned US visit stands.
Taiwan's authorities, according to Reuters, report a marked rise in Chinese ship movements near the island, stoking fears over the security of Pacific supply routes. The conservative Wall Street Journal describes a broadly conceived campaign by Beijing to 'suffocate' Taiwan, extending as far as children's choirs and cafe operators. Both accounts fit Taipei's warning of an escalating 'gray zone' coercion below the threshold of war. Beijing regards Taiwan as part of the People's Republic and treats such voyages as routine, while Western observers see in them a targeted wearing-down. Despite the tensions, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, according to Bloomberg, that President Xi's planned visit to the US remains on track, even after Washington accused China of interfering in the elections. The situation shows the coexistence of economic rapprochement at the highest level and mounting everyday pressure.