REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Sept 19 (Reuters) - A Chinese blockade of Taiwan would likely fail and a direct military invasion of the self-ruled island would be extremely difficult for Beijing to carry out successfully, senior Pentagon officials told Congress on Tuesday.
China's military in recent years has stepped up activity around Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its territory.
However, whether Xi would order taking Taiwan by force, either through military options like a blockade or an invasion is unclear.
"I think it is an option but probably not a highly likely option, when you start looking at the military options - much easier to talk about a blockade than actually do a blockade," McGee told lawmakers.
He added flatly: "There is absolutely nothing easy about a PLA invasion of Taiwan."
Persons:
Dado Ruvic, William Burns, Xi Jinping, Xi, Ely Ratner, Ratner, General Joseph McGee, McGee, Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali, Michael Martina, Patricia Zengerle, Marguerita Choy
Organizations:
REUTERS, Rights, Pentagon, CIA, Affairs, House Armed Services, People's Republic of China . Army, Pentagon's Joint Staff, People's Liberation Army, PLA, Thomson
Locations:
Taiwan, Beijing, U.S, People's Republic of China, China