European nations are selling dual-use military technology to China that may soon be used against Taiwan, a US congressional subcommittee has been told.
“All Chinese nonnuclear submarines and new combatant ships use European design naval engines, largely German-designed engines,” said Rick Fisher, senior fellow for Asian military affairs at the International Assessment and Strategy Center.
A similar situation exists with some helicopters, and the Chinese shipbuilding industry has bought state-of-the-art 3D ship design software, made in Spain, that is already helping Beijing “develop better combat ships.”
Fisher told a special hearing of the Europe, Eurasia and Emerging Threats Subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs Committee that the sales were allowing China to expand its military more quickly than it would otherwise be able to do.
Fisher said China was building its military “tremendously” to wage war against Taiwan and to conquer the nation “perhaps early in the next decade.”
Such an attack could possibly engage US forces and reduce the US’ ability to aid Europe against threats “that are growing against them as well.”
Asked about mounting Chinese aggression towards Japan and in the South China Sea, Fisher said that if the US did nothing to counter the aggression, there was a danger that allies could be defeated in skirmishes.
“If our allies are undermined, if they lose confidence in their alliances with the United States, they have alternatives,” Fisher said. “In my opinion they will develop their own nuclear missiles.”
Fisher said that Japan, South Korea, Vietnam and Australia could all go nuclear “rather quickly.”
If that happens, the prospect of a skirmish escalating into a nuclear exchange with the US being drawn into a war is “real,” he said.
Fisher said that Washington had to support its friends and allies.
“We have to be very clear to the Chinese about what we consider unacceptable behavior,” he said.
“We have to make clear that we are there to back up our alliances, that we are there to support our long-standing friendship with Taiwan by selling them the systems they need to deter war,” Fisher said. “If we fail to do this, we are inviting conflict.”
Chairman of the subcommittee Republican Dana Rohrabacher said the hearing had been called to examine China’s “external posture” toward the states around it.
He said that Beijing had menaced, threatened and attempted to absorb Taiwan and had clashed “with virtually every bordering state.”
Director of the Population Research Institute Steven Mosher said that he was less worried about China’s capabilities than its intentions.
“I am concerned that China, which lacks transparency in terms of its military budget and in stating its intentions, is only emboldened by our careful and measured and nuanced, and oftentimes too quiet, responses to acts of aggression,” he said.
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The High Prosecutors’ Office yesterday withdrew an appeal against the acquittal of a former bank manager 22 years after his death, marking Taiwan’s first instance of prosecutors rendering posthumous justice to a wrongfully convicted defendant. Chu Ching-en (諸慶恩) — formerly a manager at the Taipei branch of BNP Paribas — was in 1999 accused by Weng Mao-chung (翁茂鍾), then-president of Chia Her Industrial Co, of forging a request for a fixed deposit of US$10 million by I-Hwa Industrial Co, a subsidiary of Chia Her, which was used as collateral. Chu was ruled not guilty in the first trial, but was found guilty
DEADLOCK: As the commission is unable to forum a quorum to review license renewal applications, the channel operators are not at fault and can air past their license date The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday said that the Public Television Service (PTS) and 36 other television and radio broadcasters could continue airing, despite the commission’s inability to meet a quorum to review their license renewal applications. The licenses of PTS and the other channels are set to expire between this month and June. The National Communications Commission Organization Act (國家通訊傳播委員會組織法) stipulates that the commission must meet the mandated quorum of four to hold a valid meeting. The seven-member commission currently has only three commissioners. “We have informed the channel operators of the progress we have made in reviewing their license renewal applications, and
A wild live dugong was found in Taiwan for the first time in 88 years, after it was accidentally caught by a fisher’s net on Tuesday in Yilan County’s Fenniaolin (粉鳥林). This is the first sighting of the species in Taiwan since 1937, having already been considered “extinct” in the country and considered as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. A fisher surnamed Chen (陳) went to Fenniaolin to collect the fish in his netting, but instead caught a 3m long, 500kg dugong. The fisher released the animal back into the wild, not realizing it was an endangered species at