The United States issues the most clear statement on Taiwan in the era of the second Trump administration. Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth issued a stark warning: an attack on the Chinese island "could be imminent", the tip of the iceberg of a more determined mandarin posture to wrest hegemony in Asia, preparing to use force.
Beijing’s response was equally blunt: “The US should not play with fire on Taiwan” which “is an internal issue and does not allow outside interference.” Hegseth, on his second trip to Asia as defense secretary, vowed that there would be “devastating consequences” for the region and the world if China tried to conquer Taiwan, speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia’s most prestigious security forum.
"It is public knowledge that Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered his military to be able to invade Taiwan by 2027. The People's Liberation Army is preparing its troops to do so, training every day." But President Donald Trump "has also said that Communist China will not invade Taiwan under his watch. Our goal is to prevent war, make the costs too high, and make peace the only option," the Pentagon chief added. "We are back to stay," he added: the Indo-Pacific "remains America's priority theater," striving to ease fears among allies and partners in the region about the U.S. commitment to their defense.
"We do not seek conflict" with Beijing, but "we will not allow our allies and partners to be subordinated to it."
(Online Union)
