China has been pressuring Taiwan to reunify with the mainland, while Taiwan sees itself as independent from China. Why does this regional conflict matter?
In recent years, China has become increasingly aggressive toward its neighbors and other areas it claims sovereignty over. This is currently playing out between China and the small island of Taiwan.
In a 2019 speech, China’s President Xi Jinping called for a peaceful reunification of Taiwan to mainland China under a “one country, two systems” policy.
However, China’s actions toward Hong Kong in recent years do not lead many in Taiwan to believe their system of governance and way of life would be respected by China. When the United Kingdom transferred sovereignty of Hong Kong to China in 1997, China promised it would maintain the “one country, two systems” for 50 years. Instead, China has chosen to dominate Hong Kong and bring it in line with the rest of China.
Many around the world are asking: Will China invade Taiwan?
The threat of war
Tensions over Taiwan are rising as China warns it will strongly respond to any foreign interference in the issue.
This comes amid reports that Japan plans to deploy missiles on Yonaguni Island, located about 68 miles (110 kilometers) from Taiwan. Japan views a potential Chinese takeover of Taiwan as a direct threat to its national security and believes that positioning defensive missiles nearby could help deter military action, while also preparing for the possibility that Japan could be drawn into the crisis.
Japan’s move has sparked a heated exchange between the two nations. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has stated Japan would use military force to defend Taiwan, calling such a scenario a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan. China demanded she retract her remarks, but she refused.
In response, China advised its citizens to avoid traveling to Japan. As well, Xue Jian, Chinese consul general in Osaka, Japan, posted on social media that “the dirty neck that sticks itself in must be cut off,” while a Chinese defense ministry spokesperson said that Japan would “suffer a crushing defeat” if it intervened.
China has warned the U.S. against interfering in the Taiwan issue, most recently after Washington approved the sale of $11 billion in arms to Taiwan. China’s foreign ministry strongly condemned the sale, calling it “dangerous” and demanding that the United States immediately halt such actions.
U.S. support for Taiwan’s defense and Japan’s military capabilities aims to create a counterbalance to China’s expanding military power. Recent reports indicate China is on a “war footing,” citing the construction of hundreds of new missile silos, an increase in its nuclear warhead stockpile and advances in technologies such as AI-assisted warfare.
Analysts also point to China’s ongoing modernization of its nuclear forces, including the development of a full nuclear triad—land, sea and air-based delivery systems.
The specter of war is more frightening now than ever before, with more nations having advanced weapon technologies, which were once the domain of only the United States.
The Kuomintang (Chinese Nationalist Party) left China when Mao Zedong’s communist forces took control of China in 1949. They fled to an island off mainland China and formed what they called the Republic of China—now commonly called Taiwan.
To this day, Taiwan has maintained that it is an independent nation. However, China views the island as a breakaway province, and there are fears China is planning to use force to fully reunify it with mainland China.
A recent poll shows that 90 percent of Taiwanese people oppose reunification with mainland China, and Beijing’s increasing aggression toward the island has only strengthened anti-China sentiment.
Peaceful reunification appears unlikely, prompting China to increase military pressure to coerce Taiwan into submission.
A show of force
In recent years, China has continually shown it is willing to use force to exert its power and will. In 2005 China passed the anti-secession law that declares Taiwan a part of China and prohibits Taiwan from seeking independence. It also declares that, if need be, China will use “non-peaceful means and other necessary measures to protect China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
In 2019, Xi Jinping reaffirmed that Taiwan “must and will be” reunited with China, emphasizing that Beijing reserves the right to use force. Analysts widely believe it is only a matter of time before China enforces this position. The tension persists today.
Most recently, in December 2025, China warned it would take “forceful measures” in response to the U.S. arms deal with Taiwan, cautioning that Washington would “get burned itself.”
China is intensifying psychological and information warfare against Taiwan through gray-zone tactics—actions that remain below the threshold of open conflict but are deliberately provocative. These measures include severing undersea cables, conducting air and sea incursions, deploying espionage balloons and launching cyberattacks on infrastructure.
As of Oct. 10, 2025, China had carried out 3,056 incursions into Taiwan’s airspace in 2025, a 33 percent increase compared to the same period in 2024. Taiwan faces the difficult task of demonstrating resolve against these actions without triggering a military confrontation that it’s unlikely to win.
On the international stage, Taiwan stands increasingly isolated. China has made it clear that it will cut ties with any country or organization that recognizes Taiwan’s sovereignty. Over the past decade, Taiwan has lost diplomatic recognition from 10 nations, reducing its formal allies to just 12 (down from 22 in 2016).
Major global institutions, including the European Union, the United Nations and the World Health Organization, have refrained from acknowledging Taiwan as an independent state. Even the U.S., despite being Taiwan’s most important partner, maintains an official policy that acknowledges the Chinese position that “there is but one China and Taiwan is part of China.”
Many nations’ refusal to recognize Taiwan underscores China’s international economic might.
Value of Taiwan
But why is Taiwan so important to China?
In addition to demonstrating its might on the world stage, China has other reasons for desiring to dominate Taiwan. Though Taiwan is a relatively small island, it is home to the world’s leading semiconductor technology and a major part of the global supply chain.
Taiwan occupies a strategic position that China wants complete control over. With Taiwan in its grasp, China could exert greater influence on Japan, South Korea and the Philippines.
Modern semiconductor chips pack billions of transistors onto a single silicon wafer, requiring precision manufacturing at the atomic level. Just two companies, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) and South Korea’s Samsung, are the primary producers of these advanced chips. TSMC currently dominates the market, holding a 70.2 percent share last year, and its lead is expected to continue to grow.
These advanced semiconductor chips meet the growing needs of computing power in artificial intelligence, cloud computing, quantum computers, electric cars, mobile chipsets and the military.
Another reason for China’s interest in Taiwan is the geographic reality that China is surrounded by a chain of islands in the East China Sea and South China Sea. China’s desire is to control these seas. Taiwan occupies a strategic position that China wants complete control over. China also wants to build military bases on the island so it can further dominate Asia by controlling the waterways of maritime trade.
With Taiwan securely in its grasp, China could exert greater influence on Japan, South Korea and the Philippines.
United States’ weakness
After years of fighting the war on terror, dealing with prolonged interventions in the Middle East and wrestling with domestic challenges, America made an inward shift—a retreat that was epitomized by the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan. The change signaled to the world that U.S. priorities now lie at home.
As a result, rival powers have been further emboldened.
The increasing rivalry between China and the United States is another side of the growing tensions between China and Taiwan. Since the United States has friendly relations with Taiwan (without recognizing its independence), China sees dominating Taiwan as a show of its supremacy over the United States.
China’s growing military assertiveness in the South China Sea has faced little resistance from Washington.
At this time, the United States is the only power that could hold China back from taking Taiwan. China’s aggressive actions are seen as a way for it to test U.S. resolve. At the same time, China is rapidly building up its military to surpass the United States.
The war in Ukraine has shown how relatively inexpensive modern technologies, like drones, can influence conflicts and impose significant damage on larger adversaries. Similarly, analysts have highlighted vulnerabilities in some U.S. systems, including space, cyber and other high-tech domains, that could be exploited by China’s rapidly manufactured, low-cost alternatives.
Leaked Pentagon war games have illustrated scenarios in which Chinese forces, using a mix of long-range missiles, cyber actions and counterspace capabilities, could inflict serious damage to U.S. warships and other assets early on in a Taiwan conflict.
Many analysts view the United States as a nation in decline or retreat. China’s growing military assertiveness in the South China Sea has faced little resistance from Washington. Perceiving these vulnerabilities, China is accelerating its strategy to dominate the region—starting with its closest neighbors.
Rise of China, Russia and India
As the United States steps back from its traditional global leadership role, the world is rapidly moving toward a multipolar order.
A prominent power bloc is emerging in the East, led by Russia, China and India. Despite Washington’s attempts to create divisions, their alliance has grown stronger.
This was evident at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), where the three nations showcased unity and expanded economic and military cooperation—directly challenging Western dominance and reshaping the global order.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has described the SCO and the BRICS alliance (founded by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) as key pillars in making a “multipolar world” a “reality,” which he views as the foundation of a “just world order.”
America’s gaze is toward China, convinced it is the ultimate challenger to U.S. supremacy. But the real threat lurks elsewhere—and will arise where people least expect it.
Who will be the next superpower?
Many believe China is on track to replace the United States as the world’s leading superpower, and Beijing is doing everything possible to make that happen.
Over the past 30 years, China has relentlessly modernized its military, increasing defense spending year after year, resulting in a staggering 13-fold increase.
Yet in a multipolar world, China is not the only superpower rising. The Bible foretells the rise of another formidable superpower—emerging from Europe.
In 2025, Germany began a rapid rearmament program, pledging to build the most powerful army in Europe. Pressured by U.S. calls for Europe to take greater responsibility for its own defense and driven by Russian aggression in the East, Germany has shed its long-standing taboo against militarization and is rapidly rebuilding its war machine.
History warns that whenever Germany rearms, the world should take notice.
A massive Asian alliance will form a military force of 200 million persons and will ultimately kill one-third of mankind.
The book of Daniel focuses on four empires arising from Daniel’s time onward, each successive one retaining elements of the previous empires. These empires are Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and the Roman Empire. The kingdoms of Babylon, Medo-Persia and Greece have come and gone, but the Roman Empire was prophesied to be resurrected 10 times (Daniel 7:7).
The Bible shows that the Roman Empire will, once again, arise as a powerful military and economic force at the end time, with its power centered in Europe. The Bible refers to this power as “the beast” (Revelation 13). This power will dominate the world economy (Revelation 13:16-17; 18:12-16). To learn more about this coming power, read “Who Is the Beast?”
The book of Daniel refers to the Roman Empire as the “king of the North.” This title shows us that “the beast” will be located north of Jerusalem. China cannot be the beast since it is far to the east of Jerusalem. The “king of the North” will arise from Europe and likely be politically dominated by Germany and religiously dominated by Rome.
This force will retaliate powerfully against an attack from the “king of the South,” likely a confederation of Islamic nations that will include Egypt (Daniel 11:40-43). To learn more, read “The King of the North” and “The King of the South.”
The king of the North will conquer the Holy Land and decisively defeat the king of the South. This northern power will establish a headquarters in Jerusalem, end daily sacrifices and set up what the Bible calls the “abomination of desolation” (Daniel 11:41; 12:11).
However, this European superpower will not go unchallenged. This is where China’s future biblical role comes in.
The Bible tells us that powers from the “east and the north shall trouble” the king of the North, and a massive battle will ensue between these regional powers (Daniel 11:44). These nations will be to the north and east of Jerusalem and will likely be an alliance that includes China, Russia, India and possibly other Asian nations. The book of Revelation calls this alliance “the kings from the east” (Revelation 16:12).
This massive Asian alliance will form a military force of 200 million persons and will ultimately kill one-third of mankind (Revelation 9:15-18).
Watch!
Despite the expectation that China will become the next global superpower, the Bible reveals that Europe will once again rise to prominence as the cradle of a revived version of the old Roman Empire.
But that doesn’t mean students of prophecy should take their eyes off of China. In order to be a part of a force that challenges the coming beast power and destroys one-third of humanity, it seems China will continue to rise as a military power—along with Russia.
Continue to watch as the regional powers described in Bible prophecy emerge before our eyes.
Date Posted: January 5, 2026
About the Author
Isaac Khalil
Isaac Khalil is husband to his lovely wife, Natasha, and father to son Eli and daughter Abigal. He loves to spend time with family and friends doing various things like watching movies, playing chess, playing board games and going out. He enjoys studying biblical topics and discussing the Bible with his friends. He is also a news junkie and is constantly reading and sharing news connected with Bible prophecy.
