China stands no chance of winning in an attempted invasion of Taiwan, National Security Bureau Director-General Chen Ming-tong (陳明通) said yesterday.
Chen made the remarks during a question-and-answer session at the legislature in Taipei after Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lee Guei-min (李貴敏) asked him about US Chief of Naval Operations Michael Gilday’s comment on Wednesday that China could attack Taiwan as soon as this year or next year.
“A military invasion of Taiwan will lead to international sanctions and diplomatic isolation, [and Chinese President Xi Jinping, 習近平] would be to blame for sinking any hopes of a great ‘Chinese revival,’” Chen told a news conference.
Photo: CNA
Both sides of the Taiwan Strait should respect each other and develop their own countries, he added.
Many scenarios have been put forward regarding China’s “readiness” to invade Taiwan, Chen told lawmakers.
The more recent theories suggesting an invasion date of as early as next year to 2025 might be based on China’s attempts to force Taiwan to the negotiation table by threatening war, he said, without specifying what the negotiations could involve.
This could be carried out through a show of military force, for example by blockading Taiwan, which would be tantamount to war, Chen said.
The nation’s security apparatus has drafted plans to respond to such a scenario, he added.
Due to the ever-changing nature of warfare, it is difficult to predict exactly when a Chinese invasion could take place, Chen said.
The bureau takes note of all suggested timelines and is always on the lookout for any signs of a possible invasion, he added.
KMT Legislator Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) cited Ministry of Economic Affairs data showing that in the event of a blockade, Taiwan would only have 146 days of oil, 10 days of liquefied natural gas and 39 days of coal in its reserves.
“If we do not have power, it would not matter if we have Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (台積電),” Chiang said.
Chen said he was not at liberty to respond to Chiang’s remarks.
Asked by reporters about Xi’s remarks during the Chinese Communist Party National Congress on Sunday that Beijing would not give up on the use of force to occupy Taiwan, Chen said Xi’s words were “cliche.”
SEPARATE: The MAC rebutted Beijing’s claim that Taiwan is China’s province, asserting that UN Resolution 2758 neither mentions Taiwan nor grants the PRC authority over it The “status quo” of democratic Taiwan and autocratic China not belonging to each other has long been recognized by the international community, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday in its rebuttal of Beijing’s claim that Taiwan can only be represented in the UN as “Taiwan, Province of China.” Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi (王毅) yesterday at a news conference of the third session at the 14th National People’s Congress said that Taiwan can only be referred to as “Taiwan, Province of China” at the UN. Taiwan is an inseparable part of Chinese territory, which is not only history but
CROSSED A LINE: While entertainers working in China have made pro-China statements before, this time it seriously affected the nation’s security and interests, a source said The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) late on Saturday night condemned the comments of Taiwanese entertainers who reposted Chinese statements denigrating Taiwan’s sovereignty. The nation’s cross-strait affairs authority issued the statement after several Taiwanese entertainers, including Patty Hou (侯佩岑), Ouyang Nana (歐陽娜娜) and Michelle Chen (陳妍希), on Friday and Saturday shared on their respective Sina Weibo (微博) accounts a post by state broadcaster China Central Television. The post showed an image of a map of Taiwan along with the five stars of the Chinese flag, and the message: “Taiwan is never a country. It never was and never will be.” The post followed remarks
INVESTMENT WATCH: The US activity would not affect the firm’s investment in Taiwan, where 11 production lines would likely be completed this year, C.C. Wei said Investments by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) in the US should not be a cause for concern, but rather seen as the moment that the company and Taiwan stepped into the global spotlight, President William Lai (賴清德) told a news conference at the Presidential Office in Taipei yesterday alongside TSMC chairman and chief executive officer C.C. Wei (魏哲家). Wei and US President Donald Trump in Washington on Monday announced plans to invest US$100 billion in the US to build three advanced foundries, two packaging plants, and a research and development center, after Trump threatened to slap tariffs on chips made
CONSISTENT COMMITMENT: The American Institute in Taiwan director said that the US would expand investment and trade relationships to make both nations more prosperous The US would not abandon its commitment to Taiwan, and would make Taiwan safer, stronger and more prosperous, American Institute in Taiwan Director Raymond Greene said. “The US’ commitment to Taiwan has been consistent over many administrations and over many years, and we will not abandon our commitment to Taiwan, including our opposition to any attempt to use force or coercion to change Taiwan’s status,” he said in an exclusive interview with the Liberty Times (the sister newspaper of the Taipei Times) on Friday last week, which was published in the Chinese-language newspaper yesterday. The US would double down on its efforts
RSS