Russia's problems securing a swift military victory in Ukraine, along with unexpected tough sanctions from the West, will serve as a warning to China to ease off any plans to invade Taiwan in the near future, a top Taiwanese official said Monday.
Addressing a session of the Taiwanese legislature, Chen Ming-tong, director-general of Taiwan's National Security Bureau, said it is "highly unlikely" that China would invade Taiwan this fall in spite of leaked intelligence reports that Chinese President Xi Jinping is considering it, the Taipei Times reports.
"I believe this so-called leaked document is part of cognitive warfare targeting Taiwan," Chen told the legislature's Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee. He did not say whether he though Russia or China was behind the targeting.
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is holding its 20th National Congress this fall, and its main goal is maintaining stability, making an invasion extremely unlikely, Chen said.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine was a wake-up call to democracies to be on guard against authoritarian countries such as Russia and China, Chen said.
The Taiwan Relations Act commits the United States to aiding Taiwan with the means to defend itself against a Chinese invasion, Chen noted, which provides Taiwan with even more protection against Chinese efforts at reunification than Ukraine has.
Also, Chen said, he doesn't believe China will adopt a "reunification law," since it would pressure China to meet a deadline that would make China look bad if it didn't meet that deadline.
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