Taiwan’s navy commander Admiral Tang Hua recently claimed that the People's Liberation Army (PLA) is using an ‘anaconda strategy’ to squeeze the island nation.
Admiral Tang told The Economist in an interview that “slowly, but surely” China is enhancing its military presence around Taiwan. “They are ready to blockade Taiwan at any time they want,” he was quoted as saying.
The 'Anaconda Plan' refers to a military strategy proposed by Union General Winfield Scott during the early stages of the American Civil War. The primary objective of this strategy was to suffocate the Confederacy economically and militarily, similar to how an anaconda snake coils around and asphyxiates its prey. Scott's plan involved the naval blockade, control of the Mississippi River, and employing land and naval forces to attack major Confederate positions.
China's 'anaconda strategy’ against Taiwan reportedly involves a mix of military maneuvers, psychological tactics, and cyber warfare to eventually weaken Taiwan's defenses. The ultimate goal appears to be to force Taiwan into submission without engaging in a full-scale invasion.
June Teufel Dreyer, a professor of political science at the University of Miami and a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, in a 2018 article wrote that China has been stepping up the anaconda strategy " in across the spectrum moves that included diplomatic, economic, and military efforts as well as attempts to destabilise Taiwan society from within."
China is encircling Taiwan by both sea and air, increasing the number of air incursions to Taiwan Strait, and employing its ships to operate around the country in what appears to be an effort to tire out Taiwan’s navy and air force.
There has been a steady increase in the number of ships China operates around Taiwan, from 142 at the beginning of the year to 282 in August. According to Taipeitimes, the air incursions have gone up from 36 in January to 193 in September.
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“They give you extreme pressure, pressure, pressure. They’re trying to exhaust you,” Admiral Tang had said.
Even as Taiwan is focused on avoiding confrontation, China's plan is to “force Taiwan to make mistakes” and use these to launch a blockade, Tang said. “We restrain our guys not to provoke or escalate,” he added.