The global consequences of a war over Taiwan would be as great as the impact of WWII. Australia's ambassador to the United States Kevin Rudd, quoted by "Reuters", warned about this. and News.bg
In his words, this would make the world "a radically different place".
If Chinese President Xi Jinping, who turns 71 this month, wants to achieve "final national reunification" with Taiwan, he is likely to act in the next decade before he turns 80, the ambassador pointed out.
"It would be foolish to ignore the growing clarity of China's military signals, including the pattern of its recent military exercises," said Rudd, who was twice prime minister of Australia in the previous decade.
Whether China takes action will depend on its perception of the strength of American deterrence, he said.
China claims democratically-ruled Taiwan as its territory and has never shied away from using force to bring the island under its control. Taiwan categorically rejects China's territorial claims and claims that only the people of the island can decide their future.
The United States has expressed concern about Chinese military activity near Taiwan, including after the island's presidential election and the inauguration of President Lai Ching-te last month. China has warned the US not to interfere in its affairs with Taiwan.
Taiwan and the US do not have formal diplomatic relations. Washington officially recognizes Beijing, but is required by law to provide Taipei with defense assets, and is the island's most important international supporter.
The United States acknowledges that if China succeeds in annexing Taiwan, it will affect US credibility and have a "profound and potentially irreversible effect on the perceived reliability of US alliances around the world". Rudd pointed out.
According to him, the United States, China and Taiwan have a common interest in avoiding an open military confrontation for the future of the island.
"The economic costs, domestic political impacts and unpredictable geostrategic consequences that such a war would produce would probably be on an order not seen since World War II," he predicted.
"Whatever the outcome (an American victory, a Chinese victory or a bloody stalemate), the world is likely to be a radically different place after such a war", Rudd was emphatic.