An unprovoked attack on Taiwan by China would result in “more robust” consequences than those Russia is facing over its invasion of Ukraine, the commander of the US Pacific Air Forces said on Monday.
As Beijing watches the response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, it is hopefully learning the solidarity of the global community in opposing “an unprovoked attack on a neighbor,” General Kenneth Wilsbach said during a discussion streamed online by the US Air Force Association’s Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies and covered by Air Force Magazine.
China hopefully recognizes that if it moves similarly against Taiwan or another neighbor, “something more robust will happen,” Wilsbach said, adding that such an attack would “provide solidarity” for nations to come together in opposition.
Photo: AP
Wilsbach also chuckled at Beijing’s accusation that the US is trying to form a “NATO of the Pacific,” saying it is China’s own actions that are inspiring such talk.
If it does attack Taiwan, China would also have to contend with inhospitable terrain and regional opposition, he said.
As for the military relationship between China and Russia, Wilsbach said that although they cooperate, their forces are not interoperable.
Photo: screen grab from US Air Force website
“There’s been a couple of other exercises that we’ve seen them do together, but I would not say that they’re interoperable in any way,” he said. “Their systems are quite different.”
They also have a competitive power dynamic, with each side believing they should be the leader, he said, adding that he was “fairly happy with that tension.”
That is in contrast to the interoperability of US, Japanese, South Korean, Australian and other regional forces — an advantage that China recognizes, Wilsbach said.
“We fly with them routinely and we’re interoperable,” he said. “We’re flying a lot of the same equipment. We’re even data-linking together in some cases and the tactics are very similar.”
Joint activity between China and Russia has also declined, with Russia “pretty well occupied” in Ukraine, he added.
Saying that China is being “pretty cautious” to avoid getting caught up in the backlash against Russia, Wilsbach said “it still is very surprising that they’ve come up with the support rhetoric that they have.”
At the same time, the US Air Force has continued conducting daily exercises in the Indo-Pacific region, although now they are “fully integrated” with the US Navy and Marine Corps “to demonstrate what US forces can do in that part of the world,” he said.
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