Taiwan lacks necessary defensive capabilities to deter China: US Rep.
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US Rep. McCaul said Beijing might attempt to influence the result of the 2024 elections as an alternative to military conflict.
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US Representative Michael McCaul on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S. June 29, 2021 (Reuters)
US House Foreign Affairs Chairman Michael McCaul assessed Taiwan's current defensive capacities to not be enough to withstand a potential military confrontation with China.
"They [Taiwan's defense capabilities] are not where they need to be right now," McCaul told NBC News broadcaster in an interview on Saturday.
However, McCaul added that, despite Taipei’s weak defensive military capacities, Beijing would prefer a non-confrontational strategy to realize its ends: specifying that Beijing might attempt to influence the result of the 2024 elections.
"There is a political debate here, the two different parties. One party wants to talk to China. President Tsai's party does not want to be a part of China. And I think that the next elections and next January to be extremely important because … China is going to try to influence this next election and take over the island without a shot fired," McCaul said.
In the interview, McCaul also revealed that the United States would be reconsidering the prospect of sending troops to Taiwan in the case of a military conflict with China.
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Taiwanese authorities condemned the military exercises and the US said it is “monitoring Beijing’s actions closely.”
The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) will rehearse the encirclement of the island and will run its drills until Monday, the Eastern Theater's Command said.
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