'China Will Act Against Taiwan When It Believes It Will Win...': Here's What Former Indian Navy Chief Said About China In Taiwan

Recently retired, former chiefs of all three services of the Indian Armed Forces are in Taiwan to attend a security conference discussing about increasing Chinese belligerence in the Indo-Pacific region.

The security conference — Ketagalan Forum 2023: Indo-Pacific Security Dialogue, primarily focuses on issues related to security in the region.

The security conference was held on Tuesday (8 August) with the participation of the three former chiefs — Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhaduria, General Manoj Naravane, and Admiral Karambir Singh.

Alongside them, fourteen lawmakers and government officials from twelve countries, including former Japanese prime minister Taro Aso, also attended the conference.

Addressing the assembly, Admiral Karambir Singh pointed out, "China will only act against Taiwan when it believes that the balance of power is in China's favor," further asking the leaders of the participating countries to make sure that this balance of power is not shifted.

"It is therefore important that we work to ensure that this balance of power does not shift," he said.

Admiral Karambir Singh said that the India has faced "Chinese belligerence and intimidatory use of hard power," referring to the ongoing three-year-long standoff along the entire line of actual control.

He said that India does not want this playbook to be repeated elsewhere.

"The Taiwan Straits, the South China Sea, East China Sea are turning into one of the epicentres in this geopolitical confrontation, with Taiwan as the most probable flashpoint," the Admiral stated.

He further stressed that the global power competition between US and the western world with Russia, China, North Korea and Iran has spilled over the world, affecting the security of other nations, particularly maritime security.

The Admiral explained that over 95 per cent of India's trade goes through sea routes, and if the global power competition affects the maritime trade then it could have adverse effect on India's growth trajectory.

Significantly, this comes when the Indian government, according to reports, is considering the adverse effects that China's invasion of Taiwan could have on India and its economy.

He explained India's stance and said that, “India has chosen not to get embroiled in this great power confrontation by focusing on its core interests and building strategic autonomy, not through non-alignment like in the past but through multi-alignment, issue-based convergence and cooperation.”