Venezuela-style strike on Taiwan's leader could prove tricky for China

Some Chinese online users are calling for a lightning Venezuela-style snatch of Taiwan's leaders in a prelude to taking over the island, but analysts, scholars and security officials say China's modernising military is still far from ready.



In Taiwan, they say, China's military has an adversary which has prepared for years against a "decapitation operation" on its leaders, besides extensive air defences and radar capabilities, as well as likely support from the United States and its allies.



Although China has spent years acquiring advanced weapons, questions remain about the capabilities of its People's Liberation Army in using them effectively, as well as a command structure that must knit them together in combat.



"Once such an operation runs into trouble, it would quickly escalate into a full-scale conflict, with extremely high political and military risk," said Chen Kuan-ting, a lawmaker of Taiwan's ruling Democratic People's Party.



Taiwan's layered air defence and early warning systems meant any air assault or special operations infiltration effort would risk detection as it crossed the Taiwan Strait, foreshadowing escalation, he added.



The United States showcased its forces' battle-tested air dominance with last weekend's operation to extract Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife.