US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth yesterday said that while he believes China has not yet decided whether to invade Taiwan, its military exercises suggest such an intent.
"We don't believe they've [China] made that decision yet, but certainly if you look at their exercises that they're performing in that area, they look a lot like ... what that would look like," Hegseth said.
He was responding to a question from US Senator Lindsey Graham during a US Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing on the US Department of Defense's proposed budget for fiscal year 2026.
Photo: CNA
Graham asked Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Dan Caine, who testified alongside Hegseth, whether he thinks Beijing intends to take Taiwan by force.
"I think if they could get their way, for sure. Do I think they're going to use military capability? Maybe, maybe not. Do we need to be prepared for that? Yes," Caine said.
In response, Graham called for deterrence measures and increased defense spending, saying that inaction could embolden adversaries such as China, Iran and Russia.
"Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon because they'll use it. They're homicidal maniacs who are religious Nazis. China is an expansionist power who will take Taiwan if we don't deter them. Russia will dismember Ukraine and keep going if we don't stop them," he said.
Meanwhile, Japan this week confirmed that two Chinese aircraft were spotted conducting simultaneous operations in the Pacific for the first time .
The Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy on Tuesday said that the carrier operations were a "routine training" exercise that did not target specific countries or regions.
China operates two carriers, with a third undergoing sea trials, and it has been honing its abilities to operate further from its coast.
The move sent a political message about China's "expansionist" aims, Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo (顧立雄) told reporters in Taipei yesterday.
The armed forces had a "full grasp" of the carriers' movements, Koo said.
"Crossing from the first island chain into the second island chain sends a definite political message and their expansionist nature can be seen," he said.
Taiwan keeps a close eye on Chinese military movements given the regular drills and war games Beijing stages around the nation, and has been modernizing its weapons.
However, Taipei has complained of delivery delays involving 66 Lockheed Martin F-16V jets from the US, which have advanced avionics, weapons and radar systems.
Taiwan’s top envoy to the US called on the US Congress to fast-track foreign military sales and the Senate to ease tax burdens between the two countries, Fox News reported yesterday.
Following a closed-door lunch at the US House of Representatives yesterday, Representative to the US Alexander Yui (俞大㵢) told Fox News Digital that he is encouraged that US leaders recognize the urgent existential threat China poses.
However, weapons need to reach the military faster and issues impeding bilateral investment must be addressed, Yui said.
"We appreciate the United States prioritizing Taiwan and helping us strengthen our defense capabilities," Yui was quoted as saying. "We’re cheering on more military commitments to the states and [a] joint effort to speed up the delivery of the products that we bought."
Yui called on the Senate to advance a stalled double taxation agreement, which has cleared the House, the report said.
Asked about China’s posture in the Taiwan Strait and across the Indo-Pacific, Yui said: "We are concerned.”
"The [People’s Liberation] Army and Navy are increasing their activities around Taiwan, harassing our territorial waters and airspace. These provocations are constant," he said.
Air force Chief of Staff Lee Ching-jan (李慶然) later yesterday told lawmakers that a dozen or so Lockheed Martin F-16Vs should arrive this year, with the remainder following in 2026.
"The US side was optimistic about next year's scheduled delivery at last month's meeting on the project, and was very optimistic about the delivery of more than 10 aircraft this year," he said.
In related news, Koo announced that the air force is to officially retire its F-5 jets on July 4 at Hualien Air Base.
The F-5s were removed from combat standby duties at the end of last year, and only a small number of F-5F aircraft remain in service to support RF-5E reconnaissance operations from Hualien.
Additional reporting by AP
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