US vows to help Taiwan — Analysis

Washington assures Taipei that it will have all the tools necessary to protect itself from Beijing
Washington supports Taiwan’s military industry as well as expediting its defense against any possible attack. “third-party transfers,”Doing so will help to boost the economy of the island “asymmetric”Antony Blinken, Secretary of State, has stated that deterrence capability is possible.
“When it comes to Taiwan itself, we are determined to make sure that it has all necessary means to defend itself against any potential aggression, including unilateral action by China to disrupt the status quo that’s been in place for many decades,”Blinken testified Tuesday before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Blinken pointed out that since 2017, the US had made or assisted nearly $20 billion worth of arms sales, and almost $2.5 billion worth of direct commercial sales to Taiwan. “We’ve been expediting third-party transfers to Taiwan,”He concluded. “We’ve been supporting indigenous industrial defense capability. And we are focused on helping them think about how to strengthen asymmetric capabilities, again as a deterrent.”
The committee’s chairman, Senator Bob Menendez (D-New Jersey), warned that if China were to seize Taiwan, it would gain a stranglehold on the world’s high-end semiconductor market. According to him, Taiwan is responsible for producing 90% of the world’s high-end semiconductors.

“If, in fact, China could overwhelm and take Taiwan and now have control of 90% of the world’s semiconductors, the world would be in a world of hurt,” Menendez said. He added that failing to come to Taiwan’s aid would send a message to US allies and would-be allies in the region, which would say, “‘Well, if they didn’t do it for Taiwan, they’re not going to do it for us’.”
Blinken was also in agreement and pointed out that Washington holds a technological edge over Beijing when it comes to the most advanced semiconductors. He said President Joe Biden’s administration was working with Taiwan, Japan, the Netherlands and other countries to “make sure that when it comes to the highest-end semiconductors that they are not transferred to China or China does not get the technology to manufacture them. Taiwan is integral to that.”
US relations have become more hostile to China since Russia’s military attack on Ukraine in February. Washington is unable to convince Beijing to support Western sanctions and isolation of Moscow. In Tuesday’s hearing, Blinken told senators that China is “paying a reputational cost,”For example, in Europe. “sitting on the fence when it comes to Russian aggression against Ukraine.”

China blames the US and NATO for inciting the Ukraine crisis. It broke promises not to expand the alliance eastward in the aftermath of the Soviet Union’s collapse in 1991. China also called for peace negotiations to end conflict. Wang Wenbin, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson called Tuesday for restraint in order to avoid escalating the conflict.
“No one wants to see the outbreak of a third world war,” Wang said. He also rebuked Western powers for criticizing China’s policies, saying Washington is guilty of war crimes, economic coercion and betraying allies. “Facts have proven that the US is the biggest spreader of disinformation, culprit of coercive diplomacy and saboteur of world peace and stability,”He said.
Blinken’s latest comments on Taiwan likely won’t help mend fences with Beijing, which considers Taiwan to be a breakaway province of China. America has always maintained its stance on Taiwan. ‘One China’ policy, under which it acknowledges but doesn’t endorse Beijing’s claim of sovereignty over Taiwan. Chinese officials have repeatedly warned against US meddling in Taiwan, saying they will take steps to defend their nation’s territorial integrity.
[ad_2]