Deterring a conflict initiated by China over Taiwan requires making the cost “more than what it’s worth” for Beijing, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said at a US Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Tuesday.
Rubio made the remark in response to a question from US Senator John Cornyn, who warned that Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) has instructed the People’s Liberation Army to “be ready to take Taiwan” by 2027.
“In essence, it has to cost more than what it’s worth,” Rubio said.
Photo: AP
“Deterrence is the key,” he said, adding that “deterrence obviously begins with Taiwan’s own self-defense capabilities.”
“The harder they are to take militarily, the more time I think they buy for themselves,” he said.
He called for “a credible regional deterrent” involving Japan and other allied nations, and said European allies were showing greater interest in the Indo-Pacific region.
He added that at a NATO foreign ministers gathering in Turkey last week, several member states raised concerns about how a potential conflict in the region could affect Europe.
Cornyn also voiced concern that the US and its allies might not be adequately prepared for a conflict with China over Taiwan.
Rubio, who officially serves as the principal adviser to US President Donald Trump on all foreign affairs matters, said that when the US responds to conflicts in Europe or the Middle East, resources are pulled from the Indo-Pacific region.
“We would like to be able to do all things everywhere, but the fact of the matter is there are finite resources and there’s only 24 hours in every day,” Rubio said.
At a US Senate Appropriations Committee hearing later the same day, US Senator Lindsey Graham asked if the way the US “ends the war in Ukraine with Russia” could affect China’s calculus on Taiwan.
“I think the way we end the war [in Ukraine] could impact how China views it,” Rubio replied, without elaborating.
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