Image reproduced from 三立新聞網

With the recent sea trials of China's latest aircraft carrier, the 'Fujian', now over a year old, Chinese state media CCTV has announced the arrival of the era of three aircraft carriers, indicating the presence of the 'Liaoning', 'Shandong', and 'Fujian'. However, amidst the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran, retired general Li Zhengjie asserted in the program 'Zhang Yating Spicy Evening News' that Taiwan should not take this development lightly. He pointed out that the U.S. may have to reallocate its aircraft carriers to the Middle East due to the Israel-Iran conflict, which could lead to a situation where, with three Chinese aircraft carriers together breaching the Second Island Chain, the United States might find itself stretched too thin.

Li emphasized that currently, the only U.S. aircraft carrier remaining in the Middle East is the 'Carl Vinson'. He noted that the Houthis in Yemen have proven capable of using drones and missiles to force the withdrawal of the U.S. aircraft carrier 'Truman', reminding that Iran certainly possesses stronger capabilities than the Houthis, hence whether they may deploy drones or missiles against the 'Carl Vinson' remains to be observed.

He pointed out that if the U.S. only has the 'Carl Vinson' left in the Middle East, it would be far from sufficient to manage the Iranian threat. Meanwhile, the 'Nimitz' is currently stationed in the South China Sea and the 'Washington' is docked at Yokosuka in Japan. Should both these carriers be dispatched to the Middle East, the question arises as to how Taiwan would respond.

Li noted that the 'Liaoning' and 'Shandong' were recently spotted in Guam, suggesting they have breached the Second Island Chain. If the 'Fujian' were to join them, the U.S. might struggle to effectively respond to this situation. All these factors point to the growing need for Taiwan to be aware of the increasing threat from China's aircraft carrier capabilities, especially given the increasingly complex international landscape. Experts analyzing why Iran, despite its numerical superiority, has failed to defeat Israel pointed out that technological and strategic gaps are also crucial. Additionally, the Taiwan government has decided to blacklist Huawei and SMIC from exports and implement technology controls, highlighting their vigilance against China's technological rise.