What Trump Did To Maduro, Could China Attempt The Same Against Taiwan? | World News

China Taiwan Tension: US military strikes on Venezuela and the arrest of President Nicolás Maduro have triggered a global debate on sovereignty and international norms. This phenomenon is being closely watched far beyond Latin America; Analysts and media across Asia are examining what this precedent could mean for flashpoints such as Taiwan and Ukraine.

At the heart of the debate lies the question: Could action against the Venezuelan leader encourage major powers to carry out similar operations in what they define as their own spheres of influence? Some observers suggest Washington’s move could embolden countries like China or Russia to act more aggressively in long-running territorial disputes.

Another opinion circulating among experts is that Maduro’s arrest could be a warning for Beijing. According to this assessment, the incident highlights the limits and challenges of China’s global reach, especially in conducting complex overseas operations.

Chinese state media did not indicate that the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) was planning any mission to arrest Taiwanese President William Lai Ching-te. Despite this, Beijing has made repeated threats over the years regarding the use of force against Taipei.

Reports have also emerged claiming that China is building replicas of Taiwan’s Presidential Office and key government buildings at the Zhurihe military base. These copies are believed to have been used to rehearse potential “decapitation strike” operations targeting senior leaders.

Zhang Chi, a professor at the National Defense University of China, told the state-run Global Times that “decapitation attack” scenarios were rehearsed during “Justice Mission 2025” military exercises near Taiwan towards the end of last year.

He said the drills involved “simulated attacks on major symbolic targets linked to key faces of Taiwan’s pro-independence separatist forces.”

Zhang also claimed that the PLA has “strong capabilities that can take decisive action against the main culprits of Taiwan’s independence if necessary.”

Mood in Taiwan

These signals from Beijing are taken seriously in Taiwan, especially given how quickly the United States was able to arrest Maduro.

Taiwanese media outlets, including Storm Media and United Daily News, cited concerns that “Taiwan could become the next Venezuela.” The comments suggest that America’s use of blockade tactics and leadership targeting strategies could push China to take similar steps against Taiwan.

Tai Sounds, another Taiwanese digital news outlet, reported that a social media account affiliated with China’s state news agency Xinhua posted an article on WeChat on January 3 urging readers not to compare US actions in Venezuela with Taiwan.

The article described China as a peace-loving nation that turned to war only when there was no other option. It was also stated that China, unlike the USA, fights for justice.

Questions About China’s Capabilities

Taiwanese media also focused on whether China had the operational capacity to carry out an operation similar to the one carried out by the United States.

A report by the China-leaning newspaper China Times, citing Su Tzu-yun of the National Defense and Security Research Institute, said Beijing has long tried to infiltrate Taipei’s military police and presidential security agencies to gather intelligence on the president’s movements. Su warned that Taiwan should be wary of such efforts.

He also said the US operation in Venezuela demonstrated electronic warfare capabilities that surpassed China’s. According to him, American-made radar and communications systems deployed in Taiwan cannot be disabled as easily as Chinese systems.

In another article published by United Daily News, Cheng Chi-wen, editor-in-chief of Asia Pacific Defense magazine, said Taiwan’s situation is different from Venezuela’s. He noted that Beijing’s level of political and military penetration in Taiwan is much lower than the degree of US penetration historically seen in Latin America.

He added that “preventing decapitation” or protecting senior leadership has always been the main focus of the Taiwanese military. Taipei’s special forces have had extensive contacts with the US military in recent years, he said.

Another United Daily News report quoted former US defense official Drew Thompson as saying that the PLA has far less experience in such operations compared to the American military. He also said, “China has other options to neutralize Taiwan’s leader and may have a higher chance of success if it chooses assassination.”

Taiwan’s Official Response

Taiwan’s Deputy Defense Minister Hsu Shih-chien said on January 5 that the armed forces were “prepared for any emergency.”

When asked about concerns about a possible Chinese “decapitation operation,” Hsu said the military has plans for every scenario and conducts exercises accordingly, according to the Liberty Times. These preparations include the Wan Chun Plan, which focuses on presidential security.

In another report, Taiwan’s state-run Central News Agency quoted Hsu as telling members of the Legislative Yuan’s finance committee on Jan. 5 that strengthening emergency preparedness was essential. He called on lawmakers to pass both the annual and special defense budgets as quickly as possible.