Tag: Taiwan Relations Act

The plan behind Washington’s violations of the One-China Principle

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

By Brian Berletic

While much of the world’s attention is currently focused on the economic fallout of the tariffs imposed by the United States on allies and designated adversaries alike, they are only one part of a much wider strategy aimed at what U.S. policymakers themselves claim is a bid to maintain the U.S. as “the world’s dominant superpower.”

The plan behind Washington’s violations of the One-China Principle

Part 3a: RAND and SeaLight – Taiwan Relations Act

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

The United States has also recently transitioned from an ambiguous approach [strategic ambiguity] to deterring a Chinese invasion on Taiwan to one that more clearly states that the United States will defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion (referred to as strategic clarity).

P93: Understanding and Countering China’s Maritime Gray Zone Operations | RAND

This is not true! The Biden administration “walked back” his statements each time!

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China says US ‘playing with fire’ by giving Taiwan more military aid

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

China says US ‘playing with fire’ by giving Taiwan more military aid

Related:

Why Should We Care About America’s Indo-Pacific Allies?, May 10, 2024:

We’re not obligated to defend Taiwan. What we are obligated to do is governed by the law and the law is the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act.

…

But defending Taiwan is not one of those things, but it means that we sell them equipment that they need to defend themselves and the like. And it makes it clear intent that we want a peaceful resolution of the Taiwan PRC issue, a peaceful resolution across the Taiwan Strait. And that we are opposed to a forceful reunification against the Taiwanese people’s will.

…

Is the United States going to defend Taiwan? If the answer to that question is yes, they’re going to lose hundreds of thousands of troops in that fight and they ought to know that. And then they can then make the calculus whether it’s worth it or not.

— Admiral Harry B. Harris, Jr., former commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command

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US Navy Aircraft Transits Taiwan Strait, China Responds (+the U.S. is not obligated to defend Taiwan)

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

US Navy Aircraft Transits Taiwan Strait, China Responds

The U.S. Navy’s 7th fleet said a P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft transited the Taiwan Strait on Tuesday.

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Around once a month, U.S. military ships or aircraft pass through or above the waterway that separates democratically governed Taiwan from China – missions that always anger Beijing. China claims sovereignty over the island of Taiwan and says it has jurisdiction over the strait. Taiwan and the United States dispute that, saying the strait is an international waterway.

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For Taiwan, Trump’s ‘protection’ money may mean new and early big ticket arms deals

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

For Taiwan, Trump’s ‘protection’ money may mean new and early big ticket arms deals

“Watch for Taiwan on the defence side to try and start engaging them on a big arms package – to do something significant, very large,” Rupert Hammond-Chambers, president of the U.S.-Taiwan Business Council which helps broker defence exchanges between Washington and Taipei, told Reuters, adding it could come in the first quarter of next year.

“But think of it as a down payment, an attention getter,” he said. “They’ll stack up several big platforms and big buys of munitions.”

The U.S. is already Taiwan’s most important arms supplier, although Taiwan has complained of an order backlog worth some $20 billion. A new order, almost $2 billion of missile systems, was announced last month.

Related:

Profile at BowerGroupAsia: Rupert Hammond-Chambers