Taiwan doesn’t know precisely when China will strike, but anticipates an attack and sent a strong signal it will be ready whenever it comes.
That is what Bi-khim Hsiao, Taiwan’s representative to the U.S, told Newsmax Tuesday morning at a Washington D.C. press breakfast hosted by the Christian Science Monitor.
“We don’t have evidence there’s a very specific timeline and we’re not getting involved in the discussions of specific timelines,” she said.
As to whether the long-anticipated attack will come sooner rather than later, Hsiao told us “[t]here’s nothing imminent about the possibility of war, and we’re doing everything we can to deter and to prevent any potential conflict.”
But having said that, she quickly added “there are signs the PLA [People’s Liberation Army] is becoming increasingly aggressive, not only in the context of Taiwan Straight but in the South China Sea.
According to Hsiao (who is frequently called “Ambassador,” despite the U.S. not having full diplomatic relations with Taiwan), there has been “an intention of the Communist Party of China over many decades to incorporate Taiwan into their rule.”
She noted that Taiwan has “been facing such military coercion for decades, including around our first-ever presidential election in 1996, where live-fire missile exercises were also conducted to ultimately coerce the people of Taiwan during a very important milestone in our democracy.”
“There are all kinds of discussions on a timeline and I’m not going to get involved in those timelines of intentions and capabilities. ….China invests in their capabilities and we invest in our asymmetric capabilities. The ultimate goal is never to have a timeline in place.”
John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.
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