India’s Raisina Dialogue concludes under shadow of Taiwan Strait concerns

Panellists discuss rising tensions between mainland China and Taiwan, with one analyst predicting conflict could happen ‘in the next two to five years’

European response to such a conflict would be ‘highly coordinated’ with any US reaction, but Southeast Asia ‘would prefer not to get involved at all’

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Navy soldiers on an assault boat conduct manoeuvre training during a military drill in Kaohsiung City, Taiwan, in January 2023, in response to recent renewed threats from mainland China. Photo: AP

Published: 3:01pm, 5 Mar 2023Updated: 3:03pm, 5 Mar 2023

Europe could intervene should war break out in the Taiwan Strait, but Southeast Asia “would prefer not to get involved at all”, analysts at a political forum in India have said.

Rising tensions between mainland China and self-ruled Taiwan, and a possible escalation into war, were in focus at the Raisina Dialogue on Saturday, the last of a three-day foreign policy forum organised by the Indian government with the New Delhi-based think tank Observer Research Foundation.

Tensions have continued to flare between the United States and China, with US surveillance sorties over the strait and Chinese deployment of some 68 aircraft and 10 warships to the waters near the island last week.

Panellists at the dialogue said the possibility of conflict breaking out across the Taiwan Strait had to be taken seriously, with some suggesting a “European response” was likely.

German member of parliament Peter Beyer said he believed China was “very well and concretely” preparing to invade Taiwan, and said such a conflict could happen “in the next two to five years”.