Ukraine’s countermoves against Russia’s larger military shows Taiwan that possessing advanced “asymmetric” weapons and a determination to resist invasion by a larger neighbor can be a successful combination, a senior US Department of State official said on Wednesday.
“One of the things that everyone is thinking about when it comes to Taiwan, and I think a lesson learned from this war, is that asymmetric works,” US Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of Political Military Affairs Jessica Lewis said at a Center for International and Strategic Studies event on US security assistance to Ukraine.
Lewis said that Ukraine’s use of US-provided Javelin anti-tank systems and Stinger anti-aircraft weapons — considered asymmetric because they can help a smaller force battle a stronger opponent — hold lessons for the defense of Taiwan, which China has threatened with invasion.
Photo: AFP
Pointing out that US officials have long studied how Taiwan should prepare for a potential Chinese assault, Lewis said that defenders against a numerically more powerful invasion force require more than advanced weapons.
It is important not to “over-compare” the situations in Ukraine and Taiwan, but it is crucial to look for lessons learned, she said.
“For a long time, when it comes to Taiwan, we’ve been looking at this question, you know: What does an asymmetric defense and preparing yourself look like?” she said. “It’s not just a matter of whether you have a Stinger or a Javelin. What we’ve seen from the Ukrainians is you have a population that was trained, willing and able to fight.”
Taiwan has worked alongside the US to acquire asymmetric weapons in the face of threats by China.
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