The diversion of US military aid to Ukraine has left it incapable of helping Taiwan repel a Chinese invasion, US Republican vice-presidential candidate JD Vance said in a Webcast interview with YouTuber Shawn Ryan on Thursday.
Vance, who is the running mate of former US president Donald Trump on the Republican ticket, slammed US President Biden’s policy to support Kyiv’s fight against the Russian invasion.
“I think [Washington] has left Taiwan in a really crappy position, because we sent all our weapons to Ukraine,” Vance said.
Photo: Screen grab from Shawn Ryan Show’s YouTube channel
“I do not know that [Taiwan] could repel a Chinese invasion right now, and so do the Chinese,” he added.
Beijing would eventually make a “real military move” on Taiwan “sooner rather than later,” Vance said, adding that China has not yet attacked Taiwan for a range of reasons, including a desire to avoid taking heavy casualties and Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) potentially weakened position.
“Even in a relatively weakened position, [invading Taiwan] is not an easy military maneuver, so maybe the Chinese do not want to kill a lot of people, especially their own people, that maybe destabilizes them,” he said.
Xi might not be in as strong a political position as he had been five years ago, but his hand could improve five years from now, Vance said.
That makes a Taiwan conflict before 2027 less likely, Vance added.
In addition, Beijing might believe it does not need to invade Taiwan to take control when subversion from the outside can be sufficient, he said.
Three batches of banana sauce imported from the Philippines were intercepted at the border after they were found to contain the banned industrial dye Orange G, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday. From today through Sept. 2 next year, all seasoning sauces from the Philippines are to be subject to the FDA’s strictest border inspection, meaning 100 percent testing for illegal dyes before entry is allowed, it said in a statement. Orange G is an industrial coloring agent that is not permitted for food use in Taiwan or internationally, said Cheng Wei-chih (鄭維智), head of the FDA’s Northern Center for
LOOKING NORTH: The base would enhance the military’s awareness of activities in the Bashi Channel, which China Coast Guard ships have been frequenting, an expert said The Philippine Navy on Thursday last week inaugurated a forward operating base in the country’s northern most province of Batanes, which at 185km from Taiwan would be strategically important in a military conflict in the Taiwan Strait. The Philippine Daily Inquirer quoted Northern Luzon Command Commander Lieutenant General Fernyl Buca as saying that the base in Mahatao would bolster the country’s northern defenses and response capabilities. The base is also a response to the “irregular presence this month of armed” of China Coast Guard vessels frequenting the Bashi Channel in the Luzon Strait just south of Taiwan, the paper reported, citing a
The Chinese military has built landing bridge ships designed to expand its amphibious options for a potential assault on Taiwan, but their combat effectiveness is limited due to their high vulnerability, a defense expert said in an analysis published on Monday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said that the deployment of such vessels as part of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s East Sea Fleet signals a strong focus on Taiwan. However, the ships are highly vulnerable to precision strikes, which means they could be destroyed before they achieve their intended
UNDER PRESSURE: The report cited numerous events that have happened this year to show increased coercion from China, such as military drills and legal threats The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) aims to reinforce its “one China” principle and the idea that Taiwan belongs to the People’s Republic of China by hosting celebratory events this year for the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, the “retrocession” of Taiwan and the establishment of the UN, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said in its latest report to the Legislative Yuan. Taking advantage of the significant anniversaries, Chinese officials are attempting to assert China’s sovereignty over Taiwan through interviews with international news media and cross-strait exchange events, the report said. Beijing intends to reinforce its “one China” principle
RSS