Mr Biden's war
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Which one will it be?
Pentagon warns China is preparing for military campaign to take over Taiwan
Taipei focusing on 'asymmetric' weapons to counter threat, officials tell Hill hearing
For now, however, the Pentagon believes China still can be deterred from a direct assault through a combination of strengthened defenses, partnership with the United States, and increased backing from like-minded democracies.
But recent signs have been worrisome: 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.
China‘s military is actively preparing for a potential attack against Taiwan and the Pentagon is working closely with the island’s military to deter a direct assault 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 told a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing Wednesday. 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.
“The PRC is the [Defense] Department’s pacing challenge and a Taiwan contingency is the pacing scenario,” Mr. Ratner said, using the acronym for People’s Republic of China.
Mr. Ratner said the Chinese military actions near Taiwan are “real and dangerous” and the arms buildup targeting the island is unlikely to end.
