China Will ‘Suffer Tremendously’ – Taiwan Preparing For War

Instability between China and Taiwan escalated yesterday when Taiwan’s Foreign Minister said that its nation is preparing for war. He also asked Australia to assist with intelligence sharing. 

Last week, Taiwan deployed military jets following an incident where China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA)flew sorties into Taiwan’s air space. Many believe the incident is China’s way of militarily intimidating the independent island. 

Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Joseph Wu told ABC’s China Tonight that Taiwan is prepared to retaliate against any attacks.

“The defence of Taiwan is in our own hands, and we are absolutely committed to that,” Mr Wu said. 

“I’m sure that if China is going to launch an attack against Taiwan, I think they are going to suffer tremendously as well.”

“If China is going to launch a war against Taiwan we will fight to the end, and that is our commitment.”

Mr. Wu appealed to Australia and other “like-minded countries” to assist in Taiwan’s preservation.

“We would like to engage in security or intelligence exchanges with other like-minded partners, Australia included, so Taiwan is better prepared to deal with the war situation.

“And so far, our relations with Australia [are] very good and that is what we appreciate”, Mr Wu added.

But there’s a problem: Australia doesn’t recognize Taiwan as an independent nation. Australia has historically supported peaceful resolutions between China and Taiwan, hinting that the country would stay out of deepening conflicts. 

However, at last year’s AUSMIN meetings which included the United States, Australia stated officially that “both sides stated their intent to strengthen ties with Taiwan, which is a leading democracy and a critical partner for both countries.”

“As far as I know, Australia has been one of those most vocal members in supporting Taiwan’s participation in CPTPP.

“We have been discussing with each other privately for quite some time and we understand the Australian support and we appreciate the Australian support.” Mr. Wu said. 

The world now anxiously watches and waits for the possibility that China invades Taiwan. It is unlikely that any major country assist militarily, something China understands.

A continued deterioration between China and Taiwan could further destabilize supply chains and global relations between major countries, including the United States. The Biden administration intends to intensify trade regulations or enforce the Trump era trade agreement. But China isn’t expected to budge on this front, which could create a deepening fallout between the two countries. 

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