"Against this background, unifying Taiwan with the mainland has become more than just a nationalist goal. The 13,500-square-mile territory has also become a platform that China needs to protect southern sea lanes, through which pass 80 percent of its imported oil and tons of other imported raw materials. It could serve as a base for Chinese submarines to have unfettered access to the deep Pacific, according to Tsai, Taiwan's deputy defense minister. 'Taiwan for them now is a strategic must and no longer just a sacred mission,' Lin said. "
A detailed and well-researched article in the Washington Post. And Europe is planning to sell arms to China in this context? What are they thinking?
