If influence in the Indo-Pacific region is one of the US’ core interests, then Taiwan serves as a cornerstone of US economic and security influence in the region, former US Indo-Pacific Command commander admiral Phillip Davidson said on Thursday.
“China’s ... strategy is to supplant the US leadership role in the international order ... and they’ve long said ... that they intend to do that by 2050,” Davidson told the National Review Institute’s Ideas Summit in Washington.
Davidson said he had previously told US Senate hearings on China’s military activities and possible threats in the Indo-Pacific region that a Chinese invasion of Taiwan could happen within the next 10 years, or even the next six years.
Photo: Cheng I-hwa, Bloomberg
That timeline should not be taken as a definitive plan for China to attack, but rather a timeframe in which China would use economic, diplomatic and military means to weaken the US, and create the impression that China is on the rise while the US is in decline, Davidson said.
China has clearly stated its intent to prioritize “internal” security issues, which includes Taiwan, Davidson said, adding that in light of such statements, the US needs stronger deterrents against China.
Taiwan is a core interest for China, and the US’ regional allies are accustomed to gauging US policy reliability based on the Taiwan Relations Act and long-standing US-Taiwan relations, Davidson said.
Photo: EPA-EFE / Makoto Lin / Presidential Office
While the US should reinforce its relations with partners and allies, which includes assisting Taiwan, Taiwan must invest in strengthening its defenses as well, Davidson said.
Elbridge Colby, nominee for US undersecretary of defense for policy, on March 5 said that Taiwan’s defense spending was insufficient and should come closer to 10 percent of GDP.
Davidson also said that in addition to developing asymmetrical combat capabilities, Taiwan’s traditional combat capabilities also need work, citing how Taiwan needs more traditional weapons platforms, including planes, ships and submarines, to counteract Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) harassment.
The PLA frequently sends its jets and planes into the Taiwanese air defense identification zone, flies past the median line of the Taiwan Strait and sails ships around Taiwan, he said.
Asked what were the possible results of Taiwan becoming a part of China, Davidson speculated that Japan and South Korea would contemplate developing their own nuclear umbrella to safeguard their regional interests, challenging the US stance on nuclear proliferation and possibly destabilizing the US-led Asia-Pacific security architecture.
MORE VISITORS: The Tourism Administration said that it is seeing positive prospects in its efforts to expand the tourism market in North America and Europe Taiwan has been ranked as the cheapest place in the world to travel to this year, based on a list recommended by NerdWallet. The San Francisco-based personal finance company said that Taiwan topped the list of 16 nations it chose for budget travelers because US tourists do not need visas and travelers can easily have a good meal for less than US$10. A bus ride in Taipei costs just under US$0.50, while subway rides start at US$0.60, the firm said, adding that public transportation in Taiwan is easy to navigate. The firm also called Taiwan a “food lover’s paradise,” citing inexpensive breakfast stalls
TRADE: A mandatory declaration of origin for manufactured goods bound for the US is to take effect on May 7 to block China from exploiting Taiwan’s trade channels All products manufactured in Taiwan and exported to the US must include a signed declaration of origin starting on May 7, the Bureau of Foreign Trade announced yesterday. US President Donald Trump on April 2 imposed a 32 percent tariff on imports from Taiwan, but one week later announced a 90-day pause on its implementation. However, a universal 10 percent tariff was immediately applied to most imports from around the world. On April 12, the Trump administration further exempted computers, smartphones and semiconductors from the new tariffs. In response, President William Lai’s (賴清德) administration has introduced a series of countermeasures to support affected
CROSS-STRAIT: The vast majority of Taiwanese support maintaining the ‘status quo,’ while concern is rising about Beijing’s influence operations More than eight out of 10 Taiwanese reject Beijing’s “one country, two systems” framework for cross-strait relations, according to a survey released by the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) on Thursday. The MAC’s latest quarterly survey found that 84.4 percent of respondents opposed Beijing’s “one country, two systems” formula for handling cross-strait relations — a figure consistent with past polling. Over the past three years, opposition to the framework has remained high, ranging from a low of 83.6 percent in April 2023 to a peak of 89.6 percent in April last year. In the most recent poll, 82.5 percent also rejected China’s
PLUGGING HOLES: The amendments would bring the legislation in line with systems found in other countries such as Japan and the US, Legislator Chen Kuan-ting said Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chen Kuan-ting (陳冠廷) has proposed amending national security legislation amid a spate of espionage cases. Potential gaps in security vetting procedures for personnel with access to sensitive information prompted him to propose the amendments, which would introduce changes to Article 14 of the Classified National Security Information Protection Act (國家機密保護法), Chen said yesterday. The proposal, which aims to enhance interagency vetting procedures and reduce the risk of classified information leaks, would establish a comprehensive security clearance system in Taiwan, he said. The amendment would require character and loyalty checks for civil servants and intelligence personnel prior to
RSS