‘Challenge’ of preventing Chinese invasion of Taiwan ‘enormous,’ Pentagon official wa

[Boats]

‘Challenge’ of preventing Chinese invasion of Taiwan ‘enormous,’ Pentagon official warns
By: Mike Brest - Defense Reporter - Washington Examiner News - 03-03-23
Re: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/p...mous-challenge

Preventing a Chinese invasion of Taiwan at any point this decade will be an "enormous challenge," according to a top Department of Defense official.

The Chinese military, known as the People’s Liberation Army, is increasing its capabilities while government leaders have publicly suggested reunification even through force, though the United States is attempting to deter the Chinese Communist Party from acting on that ambition, Ely Ratner, the assistant secretary for the Indo-Pacific, said on Thursday.

Note: US HAS 'GROWING CONCERN' OVER CHINA'S RELATIONSHIP WITH RUSSIA

During a Hudson Institute event, Ratner recounted a moment from his testimony in front of the House Foreign Relations Committee on Feb. 9, where he told lawmakers, “I think we can get to the end of this decade without them committing major aggression against Taiwan.”

"It's not going to be easy. The challenge is enormous," he said, referencing his earlier optimistic outlook. "The capabilities are growing; the ambition is there. We know that. But what we're doing is reinforcing that deterrence, ensuring that the costs of aggression remain unacceptably high to Beijing. I think we have a pathway to do that, through our own development of our own capabilities, revision of our posture, introduction of new operational concepts, and then all of the work we're doing with allies and partners."

Chinese leader Xi Jinping has said he wants the military prepared to invade Taiwan and take it by force by 2027, though it's not definite that they will invade then, defense officials said.

Colin Kahl, the undersecretary of defense for policy, told the House Armed Services Committee at a hearing on Tuesday that he doesn't believe China will invade Taiwan before that 2027 marker, which he described as a "date on a dartboard for them to be ready."

“I just see no indications that Xi Jinping thinks his military is ready or that the PLA thinks they’re ready,” Kahl explained, adding, “That doesn’t mean they’ve made the decision to do it. … I think, in the interim, I do not see indications that they are likely to make a leap to invade the island of Taiwan.”

Lt. Gen. Charles Flynn, commander of U.S. Army Pacific, implied earlier this week, however, that the PLA's actions are suggestive of preparing for an offensive.

“They are rehearsing, they are practicing, they are experimenting, and they are preparing those forces for something. ... You don't build up that kind of arsenal to just defend and protect; you probably are building that for other purposes,” he said, during an event at the American Enterprise Institute. “I can't go into great detail in here on what's happening on the ground, but I can tell you that the PLA army and the PLA Rocket Forces and the strategic support forces are in dangerous positions.”

China has gotten more aggressive toward the self-governing island nation of roughly 23 million people, specifically through dozens of frequent aerial and naval incursions.

"There has been an uptick in terms of particularly when it comes to air of these types of activities. Secretary Austin personally spoke to his counterpart back in November, when we were in Cambodia, on this topic," Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder, the top Pentagon spokesman, said on Thursday. "But again, what you're seeing here is a broader pattern of activities that represent not only unprofessional behavior but also encroachment, coercion, and a lack of transparency that's problematic."

The U.S. is attempting to deter China from invading Taiwan, Ratner said, a policy that failed to prevent Russia from invading Ukraine a year ago, arguing, "I think what we are aiming to do is to ensure that we are working on our own capabilities but also with allies and partners to ensure that that kind of coercion and aggression doesn't succeed."

"Our assessment is that that is true right now, that deterrence is real, deterrence is strong, and we're doing everything we can to make sure it stays that way tomorrow and into the future. I think we can do it. I think we can do it," he added.

Earlier this week, the U.S. announced a proposed arms sale to Taiwan valued at more than $600 million that will include hundreds of missiles for F-16 fighter jets, in a move that was quickly denounced by the Chinese Foreign Ministry. The defense department is also planning to deploy between 100 and 200 troops to Taiwan in the next couple of months, a move that could ultimately quadruple its presence of about 30 last year, the Wall Street Journal reported last week.

A Pentagon spokesman wouldn't confirm the report but told the Washington Examiner, “We don't have a comment on specific operations, engagements, or training, but I would highlight that our support for, and defense relationship with, Taiwan remains aligned against the current threat posed by the People’s Republic of China. Our commitment to Taiwan is rock-solid and contributes to the maintenance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and within the region.”

The tension between the Chinese and U.S. has grown in recent weeks, specifically from the Chinese spy balloon that traversed the continental U.S. before the U.S. military shot it down once it reached the Atlantic Ocean and the warning from U.S. officials that Beijing is contemplating providing Russia lethal aid for its war in Ukraine.

The Ministry of National Defense declined a call between Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and PRC Minister of National Defense Wei Fenghe the day the U.S. shot down the surveillance balloon, which has largely been recovered and is being studied, which the Chinese claim was a commercial meteorological balloon.

The two leaders have not talked since Nov. 22, though the department “maintains regular contact with the PRC at numerous levels,” Ryder said in a statement in late February, while “the Defense Attache Office in Beijing has routine communications, as we also do here in Washington.”

Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, met last month on the sidelines of the Munich Security Forum, where the U.S.'s top diplomat "warned about the implications and consequences if China provides material support to Russia or assistance with systemic sanctions evasion," according to State Department spokesman Ned Price.

U.S. officials have reiterated that they haven't seen China provide lethal aid to Russia yet, only that Beijing was considering it.

Yi visited Moscow in late February and met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who announced Xi would be visiting in the coming months.
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Personal note: Democracy in both Countries is Nil - The People have little to say and
even less when it comes to any issues in each country. Putin & Xi Jimping have one
thing in common - they want absolute power and domination over their People!
It's their way or they are they are eliminated. Their people have nothing to say
that will benefit themselves - rather they must kowtow to their leaders - this
also applies in North Korea. Those that a contrary sorta vanish off the Earth
sooner then later.
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