There is a high probability for the armed conflict between China and Taiwan to break out in the next two or three years, Vasily Kashin, a Russian political scientist, a specialist in Asia and China, told the Moskovsky Komsomolets publication.
"This conflict will be much larger and more dangerous than the one we are witnessing now in Ukraine,” the expert said, adding that it was just his way of seeing things.
The United States has always sold arms to Taiwan, Kashin said. USA's arms supplies to Taiwan have increased dramatically during the recent years, with more than $20 billion worth of contracts signed over the past few years.
The US pays special attention to supplying the island nation with anti-ship missiles, anti-aircraft and anti-missile defense equipment, artillery and light weapons.
On August 30, Liu Pengyu, an official spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, said that China demanded the US should stop selling arms to Taipei and end military contacts with the island in order to avoid further growth of tension in the region. According to the Chinese official, such actions encourage pro-Taiwan separatist forces and lead to an escalation of tensions in the Taiwan Strait.
A day earlier, it was reported that the Biden administration intended to ask Congress to approve a $1.1 billion arms sale to Taiwan, including anti-ship missiles.
US-Chinese relations aggravated after US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi paid a visit to Taiwan on August 2. Beijing considered the trip of the American politician a violation of the One China principle. Subsequently, three more American delegations visited Taipei, despite Chinese warnings.