Taiwan’s military and its US counterpart could share best practices in combating China’s cognitive warfare and other areas as part of their military cooperation, China expert Miles Yu (余茂春) said at a forum in Taipei on Saturday.
The US and Taiwan should get a better understanding of each other’s “strengths and weaknesses” and try to find ways to “overcome [their] shortcomings,” Yu said on possible military cooperation between the two sides in response to Beijing’s threats against Taiwan.
Yu, who served as the China policy adviser to then-US secretary of state Mike Pompeo during the administration of former US president Donald Trump, made the comments in a pre-recorded video shown at the forum hosted by the Formosa Republican Association.
Photo: CNA
The forum was held in commemoration of the 45th anniversary of the US’ Taiwan Relations Act (TRA).
Yu, a senior fellow and director of the China Center at the Hudson Institute, said the US and Taiwanese militaries can share their best practices, especially regarding “psychological warfare and cognitive warfare,” to achieve better teamwork.
For many decades, the US had not developed its military theory and command with the assumption that China could be its potential target, Yu said, adding that the US military also did not have a chance to engage in confrontations with its Chinese counterpart.
On the other hand, Taiwan’s military understands “the Chinese Communist Party’s strategic culture and tactical operations,” he said, adding that Taiwan is not short of experts familiar with these topics.
He also advocated for US arms sales to Taiwan aimed at enhancing the latter’s asymmetric warfare capabilities and targeting China’s vulnerabilities, without elaborating.
Speaking of the TRA, which serves as a foundation for Washington’s policy towards Taipei in the absence of formal diplomatic ties, Yu said it was “landmark” legislation, but could be modified to strengthen the US’ commitment to Taiwan.
He said the legislation should expand from the US’ commitment to Taiwan proper and the Penghu archipelago to also include the outlying islands such as Kinmen and Matsu.
He was referring to the text of the TRA,which defines “Taiwan” as including only “the islands of Taiwan and the Pescadores” as well as the people, corporations and other entities on those islands.
The TRA, promulgated in 1979 in the wake of the US switching diplomatic recognition from the Republic of China to the People’s Republic of China, mandates that Washington supply defense weapons to Taiwan.
According to the TRA, it remains US policy to “maintain the capacity of the United States to resist any resort to force or other forms of coercion that would jeopardize the security, or the social or economic system, of the people on Taiwan.”
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