Trascrizione (en)

America is massing troops near Taiwan to deter an attack by China. 10,000 have descended on the Philippines for a series of annual exercises. They fired long-range missiles and sunk practice ships. But these are not just exercises. There is specifically time to surge forces into the region at a time when the weather in the Taiwan Strait is at its calmest. If China were to attempt an invasion of Taiwan, we'd likely do so during a window of calm weather. For most of the year, the weather in the Taiwan Strait is pretty rough. Choppy seas, strong currents, typhoons blowing through. But in April and May, things are much calmer. So while it may look like the Americans are just training, these exercises are an excuse to have troops and equipment in place to deter a Chinese invasion. During the exercises, America fired a Tomahawk missile from a new mobile launcher. That is likely to worry China. Its range can cover the entire Taiwan Strait and even reach the Chinese mainland. In the autumn, when the Strait becomes calm again, American forces will return to the area, training on these southwestern islands of Japan near Taiwan Both Japan and the Philippines believe that if a war breaks out between America and China their proximity to Taiwan means they will be unable to stay out of it Both countries are working more closely together. It shows just how far Japan and the Philippines have come since the Second World War when Japan brutally occupied the islands. This was the battleground of the island of Luzang. Chinese officials have made clear that Taiwan's status is on the table in talks between President Xi Jinping and President Donald Trump. For his part, Trump seems open to changing America's approach to Taiwan as part of a broader deal with China. In the meantime, military planners are continuing to bulk up the deterrent force. With America bogged down in the Middle East, allies are stepping up. This year's exercises in the Philippines also saw the participation of Australian, Canadian, New Zealander, and French troops. Deterrence could also be affected by a change of government in the Philippines. Presidential elections are due to be held in 2028. The frontrunner, Sara Duterte, is more pro-China than the current administration. She could restrict American access to the country. But for now, under the guise of training exercises, American troops are in Japan and the Philippines in big numbers to try to prevent a disastrous conflict.