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.
SPACE VETERAN: Kjell N. Lindgren, who helps lead NASA’s human spaceflight missions, has been on two expeditions on the ISS and has spent 311 days in space Taiwan-born US astronaut Kjell N. Lindgren is to visit Taiwan to promote technological partnerships through one of the programs organized by the US for its 250th national anniversary. Lindgren would be in Taiwan from Tuesday to Saturday next week as part of the US Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ US Speaker Program, organized to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) said in a statement yesterday. Lindgren plans to engage with key leaders across the nation “to advance cutting-edge technological partnerships and inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers,”
UNREASONABLE SURVEILLANCE: A camera targeted on an road by a neighbor captured a man’s habitual unsignaled turn into home, netting him dozens of tickets The Taichung High Administrative Court has canceled all 45 tickets given to a man for failing to use a turn signal while driving, as it considered long-term surveillance of his privacy more problematic than the traffic violations. The man, surnamed Tseng (曾), lives in Changhua County and was reported 45 times within a month for failing to signal while driving when he turned into the alley where his residence is. The reports were filed by his neighbor, who set up security cameras that constantly monitored not only the alley but also the door and yard of Tseng’s house. The surveillance occurred from July
A Japan Self-Defense Forces vessel entered the Taiwan Strait yesterday, Japanese media reported. After passing through the Taiwan Strait, the Ikazuchi was to proceed to the South China Sea to take part in a joint military exercise with the US and the Philippines, the reports said. Japan Self-Defense Force vessels were first reported to have passed through the strait in September, 2024, with two further transits taking place in February and June last year, the Asahi Shimbun reported. Yesterday’s transit also marked the first time since Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi took office that a Japanese warship has been sent through the Taiwan
‘SAME OLD TRICK’: Even if Beijing resumes individual travel to Taiwan, it would only benefit Chinese tourism companies, the Economic Democracy Union convener said China’s 10 new “incentives” are “sugar-coated poison,” an official said yesterday, adding that Taiwanese businesses see them clearly for what they are, but that Beijing would inevitably find some local collaborators to try to drums up support. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, made the remark ahead of a news conference the General Chamber of Commerce is to hold today. The event, titled “Industry Perspectives on China’s Recent Pro-Taiwan Policies,” is expected to include representatives from industry associations — such as those in travel, hotels, food and agriculture — to request the government cooperate with China’s new measures, people familiar with
RSS