I haven't been following this sub for a few years now and I'm out of touch with what the current geopolitical situation is with Taiwan. I stay away from the braindead US media reports about an "imminent invasion" and a "million man swim" because we all know that's BS.
What is the current outlook on the timeline of Chinese action towards Taiwan? Now with Trump, I feel like things could be different, But are we expecting action such as a blockade somewhere in the future? How unrealistic is the classic 2027 timeline from the DoD in US? At what point will the PLA be making moves, if it ever does?
I'd appreciate any insights on this, thanks
If we take the 2027 deadline as having some basis previously with the simple aim of "if by 2027 peaceful reunification hasn't happened, then armed reunification will take place", then currently there are two factors making AR in 2027 less likely:
1. Chances for peaceful reunification seems to be increasing, not decreasing at this time. DPP got massacred in the two recall elections they kicked off, indicating Taiwanese people are not quite on board with DPP policy. Their current poor handling of typhoon emergency response is doing further damage to them as we speak. Meanwhile, 馆长, an ex-DPP online personality has jumped ship (DPP attempted to assassinate him which really did a number on his outlook) and became a diehard promoter of PRC within ROC and has opened the eyes of lots of his people with his reach. 馆长 is single-handedly showing a path exists for pro-reunification voice to exist and thrive in Taiwan.
2. The 2027 deadline may have arisen due to a calculation that due to ebb and flow of Chinese vs US platforms coming online, somewhere around 2027 exists a local maximum where new platforms like J-20A, J-35, DF-27, Fujian etc are ready for PLA while new US platforms are just out of reach. However it's turning out that those new US platforms that appeared on the horizon 5 years ago (Arleigh Burke Flight 3, NGAD, Constellation class, Sentinel, American hypersonics etc) are suffering delay after delay and don't look like they will be ready by 2027. Thus this theorized local maximum may not exist and the best strategy for PRC is to wait further and see the scale of military balance further tip towards PLA in an AR situation.