Unofficial US delegation to Taiwan to leave former Chief of Staff Mike Mullen’s Joint Committee this week
The Biden administration on Monday sent former senior defense officials Taiwan in a show of support as the world wonders if Russia’s invasion of Ukraine could trigger a Chinese invasion of the self-governing island.
The visit will be led by Mike Mullen, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, according to a senior administration official.
This comes after months of Chinese aggression against Taiwan, including nine Chinese planes entering its air defense zone on the day of the Russian invasion. Ukraine.
At the same time, President Cai Ying-wen ordered Taiwan’s military and intelligence services to be on high alert, amid warnings that China he could sense the weakness of the West after failing to prevent a Russian attack.
Kurt Campbell, Biden’s Asian king, described the delegation as “informal” during an online discussion with Germany’s Marshall Fund on Monday.
Beijing says the self-governing island is its own and has vowed to bring it under Chinese control, by force if necessary.
Beijing’s ambassador to Washington further escalated tensions in January, warning that the two superpowers could go to war if the United States promotes the island’s independence.
Soldiers from the Taiwanese army during a readiness exercise amid escalating tensions between Taiwan and China in January. The Taipei government is monitoring the effects of Ukraine
Beijing claims the self-governing island of Taiwan as its own territory and has vowed to seize it by force if necessary. In recent months, it has intensified aggressive flights of fighter jets
The remains of the mobile infantry of the Russian army Tiger-M (Tiger) on the road in Kharkov, Ukraine, on Monday. The invasion has heightened fears that China may turn to Taiwan
Soldiers in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Monday as forces fight Russian invaders who have approached the Ukrainian capital but failed to achieve the quick victory Moscow expected
Taiwanese corvette deployed during training to increase preparedness amid escalating tensions between Taiwan and China in Taiwan
He will arrive on Tuesday, according to Reuters, the first to break the news, and will be led by Mullen, a retired naval admiral who was the top military officer in the George W. Bush and Barack Obama administrations.
Megan O’Sullivan, a former deputy national security adviser, and Michelle Flurnoy, a former deputy defense secretary under Obama, are also part of the delegation.
Two former senior directors of the National Security Council for Asia, Mike Green and Evan Medeiros, will also make the trip, which aims to show continued support for Taiwan.
“The election of these five people sends an important signal of the US bipartisan commitment to Taiwan and its democracy and demonstrates that the Biden administration’s broader commitment to Taiwan remains stable,” the senior official said.
Details emerged four days after Russian troops crossed the border into Ukraine and nine Chinese planes buzzed into Taiwan’s airspace, more than usual.
The number of planes involved is much lower than the last large-scale invasion – 39 Chinese planes on January 23 – and since then such flights have been sporadic with far fewer planes.
The ministry said the latest mission included eight Chinese J-16 fighters and a Y-8 reconnaissance plane that flew over an area northeast of Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands in the upper South China Sea.
Taiwan says eight Chinese J-16 fighter jets flew over an area northeast of Taiwan-controlled Pratas in the upper South China Sea
Taiwan said it had used interceptors to counter the threat from eight Chinese J-16 fighters and a Y-8 reconnaissance plane that flew over an area northeast of the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands in the upper South China Sea.
Taipei watched the consequences from Ukraine closely.
“The principle of self-determination cannot be erased by brute force,” said Taiwan Vice President Lai Ching-te.
Diplomats said the delegation was proof that Russia’s actions had prompted Washington, which under Biden had stepped up its focus on the Indo-Pacific region, to strengthen relations.
“The general sense is that the Russian invasion of Ukraine has accelerated seismic change in geopolitics. This does not undermine the efforts of the Indo-Pacific region – it strengthens them, “said a senior Western diplomat.
“We will see how the United States doubles its relations inside and outside the region.”
The delegation is expected to arrive in Taiwan on Tuesday afternoon and stay until Wednesday night, during which time it plans to meet with Taiwanese President Tsai Ying-wen, Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng and other senior officials.
Taiwan’s presidential office confirmed the visit and meeting with Tsai, saying that the time during the crisis in Ukraine shows that ties between Taiwan and the United States are “stable.”
The US official declined to say whether the time of the visit was influenced by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
However, some elements of the Chinese-controlled media are happy to link Taiwan and Ukraine.
Last week, the Global Times used an editorial to warn Taiwan’s ruling party not to get too close to Washington.
“The US presence in Ukraine should remind defenders of Taiwan’s independence: ‘You can’t count on Washington,'” he said.
Biden’s critics in the United States have also raised questions.
On Sunday, Donald Trump Jr. said it all stemmed from Biden’s hasty withdrawal from Afghanistan, which encouraged the brave Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
“You think Vladimir Putin didn’t see that and said ‘Excellent.’ You don’t think Xi from China said, “Hey, whatever my schedule is for taking over Taiwan: speed it up,” he said.