China’s relentless siege of traditionally US-backed Taiwan has moved beyond crude military pressure (although that’s increasing). Its efforts to enforce the island’s economic and diplomatic isolation – and overthrow its pro-western, elected government – are augmented by spying, cyber-sabotage, mass surveillance and idiotic lies, conspiracies and disinformation.

Announcing a $40bn increase in defence spending last week, Taiwan’s president, Lai Ching-te, warned the annexation threat was “intensifying”. In an echo of Ukraine, which faces similar pressures from Russia and is likewise unsure of US support, Lai said the most worrying scenario was that browbeaten Taiwanese would simply give up.

“Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s first preference is to win without a devastating, unpredictable war,” wrote analyst Hal Brands. “His method is encompassing, steadily escalating coercion … This is a classic ‘anaconda strategy’, meant to get progressively tighter until Taiwan yields. Isolation and demoralisation will ultimately produce capitulation, the thinking goes.”