(Not a problem. Biden is threatening to have our "uninvited diplomats" boycott the 2022 Winter Olympics. That'll teach 'em. - De)
December 8, 2021
Pentagon warns China is preparing for military campaign to take over Taiwan
Taipei focusing on 'asymmetric' weapons to counter threat, officials tell Hill hearing
by Bill Gertz
The Washington Times
In this undated file photo released by China's Xinhua News Agency, two Chinese SU-30 fighter jets take off from an unspecified location to fly a patrol over the South China Sea. China flew more than 30 military planes, including SU-30 fighter jets, toward Taiwan on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2021, the second large display of force in as many days.
China is preparing for military operations against Taiwan and the Pentagon is working closely with the island’s military to deter attacks and develop asymmetric weapons to fight off Beijing, senior Biden administration officials told Congress Wednesday.
Ely Ratner, assistant defense secretary for Indo-Pacific security affairs, said Taiwan remains a “beacon of democracy” and is a vital outpost in a network of U.S. allies and partners in the western Pacific.
Amid growing military coercion toward Taiwan, China is preparing “to unify Taiwan with the PRC by force, while simultaneously attempting to deter, delay, or deny third-party intervention on Taiwan‘s behalf,” Mr. Ratner said in testimony to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
The hearing was one of the first this year to explore the state of U.S. relations with Taiwan, and comes at a time of increasing tensions between Washington and Beijing on a wide range of fronts.
China‘s rapid military build-up for a future war on Taiwan includes sophisticated warships and submarines, advanced warplanes, increased numbers and quality of missiles, and cyber weapons.
“Without question, bolstering Taiwan‘s self-defenses is an urgent task and an essential feature of deterrence,” Mr. Ratner said.
The China threat to Taiwan is not limited to a future invasion or naval blockade, he added.
The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) “is conducting a broader coercive campaign in the air and maritime domains around Taiwan,” Mr. Ratner said. “These operations are destabilizing, intentionally provocative, and increase the likelihood of miscalculation.”
Daniel J. Kritenbrink, assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, told the Senate panel the United States is expanding security cooperation and engagement with Taiwan as China seeks to undermine the fragile status quo across the 100-mile Taiwan Strait. Since Taiwan can never match China‘s manpower and hardware advantage, the U.S. is pushing Taipei to develop new strategies to make an invasion more difficult and costly.
The United States is “encouraging Taiwan to prioritize asymmetric capabilities that complicate PRC planning and to implement necessary defense reforms that will strengthen the resilience of Taiwan‘s society against PRC coercion,” Mr. Kritenbrink said.
China‘s military threats against Taiwan are being bolstered by efforts to diminish Taiwan‘s international ties to other nations through what Mr. Kritenbrink called “bullying” of countries that recognize or do business with Taiwan.
The officials in their prepared testimony did not outline the asymmetric weapons and capabilities being developed by Taiwan. However, other reports have indicated that Taiwan‘s military is building submarines and missiles aimed at giving Taipei a military advantage.
For example, Taiwan was constrained by an international agreement from building missiles with ranges over 300 miles.
Taiwan, however, is building a land-attack cruise missile called the Hsiung Feng IIE cruise missile with a range up to 1,200 miles – enough to strike targets inside China, including the major financial center of Shanghai.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2021/dec/8/pentagon-warns-china-preparing-military-campaign-t/
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