Russia's woes make China search for Plan B on Taiwan

Bolstering nuclear deterrence or targeting remote islands among Beijing's options

Members of the Chinese People's Liberation Army stand guard aboard the missile destroyer Xining. The width and currents in the Taiwan Strait are expected to pose a challenge in a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan. © Reuters

TSUKASA HADANO, Nikkei staff writer

April 20, 2022 03:45 JST

BEIJING -- As Russia's invasion of Ukraine drags on, China has begun to reevaluate its own scenarios for a potential strike against Taiwan and the difficulty of taking a major metropolitan area like Taipei.

With a swift, decisive victory looking unlikely, Beijing is expected to explore alternatives like expanding its nuclear arsenal as a way to hold off U.S. military involvement in any clash in the Taiwan Strait.