The Biden White House and the Pentagon are not sending China a clear message about aggressions against Taiwan, and it's putting the United States "in a very awkward position," Rep. Tim Burchett told Newsmax Saturday.
"I don't think this White House is going to do much," the Tennessee Republican said on Newsmax's "The Count." "I expect to see a strong letter from them of a threatening nature, and I don't expect them to do much."
But the United States must decide if an invasion of Taiwan is "worth going to war over," said Burchett, adding that he does not know if the United States is ready to go to war with China.
He stressed that he thinks "war is our very last option," and noted that Republicans are sending a "clear message" to China that its actions won't be tolerated.
Instead of war, Burchett said the United States "should look at every economic incentive" possible to push back.
His comments come after Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen's visit to the United States and with members of Congress, specifically House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, and a bipartisan group of lawmakers traveled to Taiwan. The visits sparked an angry response from China.
On Saturday, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas, visited Taipei with his wife. He pledged during an address that the United States will not be intimidated by China and said it's important for democracies to stand together against tyranny and oppression.
McCaul also promised that as he signs off on all foreign military sales, including weapons to Taiwan, "we will deliver those weapons."
Burchett said, "It's tough talk, but the reality is people want to compare this to Ukraine, where we just gave them a blank check. We're actually selling something to a very trusted ally that we've had for many years ... we need to quit playing ball with the Chinese. We need to roll back these very stringent environmental laws — those so-called rare earth, metals, and minerals that maybe aren't so rare — but the Democrats have stopped us from getting out of the ground and in this country."
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Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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