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The US must keep a “position of strength” against Beijing as it continues to threaten an invasion of Taiwan, experts have Express.co.uk. As Taiwan confirms it has again seen its airspace and borders suffer incursions from Chinese jets and ships, experts noted Beijing is “intent on unifying with Taiwan”.
Admiral Michael Gilday, chief of naval operations, said on Thursday that the US must be ready to respond to a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan that could come before the end of this year.
Now, Elbridge Colby, Co-Founder and Principal of The Marathon Initiative, told Express.co.uk “we don’t know” what the outcome of the US and China’s war of words over Taiwan will be.
“It seems clear that China will be unable to bring Taiwan to heel peacefully,“ he said.
“Yet Beijing is very clear it is intent on unifying with Taiwan, by force if necessary, as Xi Jinping made clear in his speech at the Party Congress. So we have a fundamental contradiction.”
Mr Colby then told Express.co.uk: “We don’t know if the Chinese will use force, but there is increasing reason to think they will – and will do so with overwhelming force.
“The way to avoid that outcome is for the United States to maintain its traditional political stance but be very clear that it has the power and the will to use it to defeat a Chinese invasion of Taiwan.
“This is the route to eventual détente – from a position of strength.
Meanwhile, Michael Sobolik, AFPC Fellow in Indo-Pacific Studies, also told Express.co.uk that the West “is in a cold war with Beijing, whether we like it or not”.
He added: “Taiwan is the key frontline of this conflict. The next two years carry heightened risk of a conflict.
“Washington had a disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, and failed to deter Putin from attacking Ukraine. Xi Jinping, emerging with even more power after the Party Congress, also has domestic issues that could propel him to move on Taiwan sooner rather than later (worsening demographics, slowing economy).”
READ MORE: Biden told to ‘arm Taiwan to the teeth’ over China threat
It comes after the Taiwanese Defence Ministry confirmed incursions by 22 aircraft and three ships on Friday.
On Thursday, it saw about 20 aircraft and three other Chinese ships move into air defence identification zones (ADIZ).
At the start of October, Taiwanese defence minister Chiu Kuo-cheng warned China any intrusion would be regarded as the first strike in a cross-strait war.
He said that Beijing had “destroyed” the consensus through naval and air harassment operations, including the flight of dozens of military aircraft into Taiwan’s ADIZ.
Meanwhile, on Thursday Chen Ming-tong, head of Taiwan’s National Security Bureau told reporters Xi Jinping would become a “sinner” of all Chinese people if he attacked Taiwan.
He said: “There is no possibility of winning in using force to attack Taiwan.
“Xi would forfeit the so-called great rejuvenation of the Chinese people, and become a sinner of the Chinese people.”
Mr Chen added: “It’s very clear that the two sides should respect each other and develop separately, which is the way that will bring happiness to the people.”
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