Tammy Duckworth

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — US Senator Tammy Duckworth on Thursday warned that China could impose an economic blockade on Taiwan as early as 2028, while Defense Minister Wellington Koo (顧立雄) said the military has prepared responses for possible maritime blockade scenarios.

Duckworth made the remarks after a recent visit where she met with President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) and other government officials, per CNA. Speaking at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, she said the trip was intended to demonstrate that US support for Taiwan’s autonomy remains critical.

Duckworth, a member of the Senate Taiwan Caucus, said a bipartisan Senate wargame last year involving about 12 lawmakers found that a potential Taiwan Strait crisis would be more likely to take the form of an economic blockade than a military assault. She said China could restrict access to shipping by requiring vessels to report to the China coast guard before being escorted through the strait “safely.”

“I think that may be something that could happen in 2028,” Duckworth said, warning that Beijing could first attempt to impose a blockade under the “guise of safety and security,” CNA reported. She said the measure would target maritime routes and called on the US and other Western nations to uphold international freedom of navigation.

Duckworth said closing the Taiwan Strait would have a greater global economic impact than disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz during the Iran War. She warned that if Taiwan were to fall, the US would no longer be economically or militarily secure.

Koo said Monday that peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait are critical to the global economy and that the impact of any blockade would be incalculable, per Liberty Times. He said the military has prepared response plans for all potential scenarios.