China is accumulating raw materials and is causing speculation around the world about possible war preparations against Taiwan. Expert opinions on this are divided.
China’s rapid accumulation of raw materials is attracting worldwide attention, reports Newsweek. Some analysts speculate that the country under President Xi Jinping could be preparing for a possible war with Taiwan. According to Michael Studeman, the former head of the Office of Naval Intelligence, Xi appears to have studied the West’s sanctions strategy against Russia and taken preventive measures to protect China’s economy against similar pressure.
Newsweek reports that among the commodities being hoarded is gold, whose prices have hit record highs in recent months. The People’s Bank of China increased its gold reserves for the 18th consecutive month in April, an increase of 5 percent, following an 8 percent increase in March.
Responding to allegations that hoarding could be a sign of war preparations, Liu Pengyu, spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in the United States, said: “Gold reserves have always been an important part of China’s diversified international reserves.” China dynamically adjusts the allocation of its international reserve portfolio to ensure the safety, liquidity, preservation and appreciation of international reserves.
In addition, China’s buying spree has extended to oil. As the world’s largest importer, China bought a record 11.3 million barrels a day last year. At the same time, China is trying to mitigate its vulnerability to potential food and energy embargoes.
Some analysts also believe that China’s accumulation of raw materials does not necessarily indicate an imminent war with Taiwan, but is rather a strategic move to increase autonomy and generally reduce the West’s ability to use these resources against China.
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