US reveals simulation of 'direct clash' with China over Taiwan
5 Min Read
A US wargame concludes that the US military will endure 20,000 casualties during the first week of a simulated Chinese military campaign on Taiwan.
-
US Army and China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) military personnel attend a closing ceremony of an exercise of "Disaster Management Exchange" near Nanjing, Jiangsu province, China, November 17, 2018. (Reuters)
The United States was unable to hold ground against Chinese forces launching a military campaign on Taiwan, a simulated wargame conducted by Congress concluded on Wednesday, leaving members calling to arm the island "to the teeth."
The simulation, organized by the House Select Committee on China, found that the US was unable to deter Beijing, which was able to launch the first strike, officials informed on the matter said, according to news sites.
The month-long battle would inflict heavy losses on China but would not prevent Chinese forces from reaching Taiwan.
Read more: Military conflict over Taiwan not inevitable, says CIA director
Hinting at the United States' readiness for a direct clash with Beijing over the island, the wargame also saw American forces sinking 80 Chinese naval vessels, but the attacking forces were able "to gain a lodgment with about 80,000 troops on Taiwan," a source briefed on the simulation to Free Beacon news outlet.
The head of the committee, which was established by Republicans earlier this year when the party took control over the House of Representatives, told the site that the simulation is a forewarning that the US must "arm Taiwan to the teeth before any crisis begins."
"We are well within the window of maximum danger for a Chinese Communist Party invasion of Taiwan, and [Wednesday’s] wargame stressed the need to take action to deter CCP aggression and arm Taiwan to the teeth before any crisis begins," Wisconsin Rep. Mike Gallagher said.
Read more: China cannot vow not to use force against separatists: Envoy
The tabletop exercise comes as the House select committee aims to exert more pressure in the coming months to increase military aid to Taiwan, a congressional source familiar with the plan said.
Delivering the $19 billion military equipment to the island will send Beijing a message that Taiwan is off limits, the source continued.
US intelligence establishments claim that, according to their estimates, China will start its military campaign on Taiwan between 2024 and 2027.
Read more: China: reunification with Taiwan 'unstoppable historical trend'
"The United States needs to deliver on our promises and clear the $19 billion weapons backlog to Taiwan, conduct enhanced joint military training, and reinforce our military posture throughout the region," Gallagher added.
Earlier this week, Taiwan's Foreign Minister revealed that Taipei is preparing for a conflict with China in 2027.
"We are taking the Chinese military threat very seriously," Joseph Wu said on LBC's Tonight with Andrew Marr. I believe that 2027 is the year in which we must be serious."
Other US officials believe a conflict will occur sooner rather than later. Gen Mike Minihan, a former deputy commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command, stated in January that his "gut" told him to expect a conflict in 2025.
The source told Free Beacon that the wargame saw the global economy falling into "absolute tatters".
Washington has been calling on American companies to resume production at home rather than abroad, motivating them with the Chips Act and the IRA bill, as the US puts efforts to maintain its unipolar world, which includes countering China's unparalleled growing economic power.
Gallagher expressed deep concern about the "disastrous economic consequences" the war would inflict on the world economy. Global supply chains also broke, leaving worldwide companies extremely vulnerable and facing a catastrophic storm, which highlights the need to prepare plans for such a scenario.
"Deterring war is the only path to peace and stability, and it is incumbent upon elected officials to take decisive action to do so before it’s too late."
"The business community is not taking the threat of a Taiwan crisis seriously enough," the chairman said ahead of the game, warning that such an approach "verges on dereliction of fiduciary duty."
Beijing destroyed undersea cables and managed to cut off Taiwan from the rest of the world before storming the island as Taiwanese defenses dwindled.
After the war started, "the U.S. adopted a distributed posture throughout the region and leveraged long range strikes to degrade the PLA amphibious assault," Free Beacon's source said.
Despite no decisive outcome to the war, according to the simulation which was restricted by time constraints, "the PRC had been exposed to heavy costs, both military and economic, but its commitment to taking Taiwan remained strong," the source added.
The US anti-ship cruise missile's stock was quickly depleted, the game revealed, hindering the ability to counter Chinese military warships coming toward the island.
As Washington released a sanctions campaign against Beijing after the war broke out, the US found reluctance among its allies to join.
Taiwan's weapon inventory must be fully stacked before the war, as replenishing their stockpiles is "not an option," the source confirmed.
The US military would "would face up to 20,000 military casualties in a single week—the most seen since World War II," according to another simulation conducted by House Republicans last month, Free Beacon reported.
