If Russia emerges victorious from the war against Ukraine, it could motivate China to increase its pressure on Taiwan. This was stated by a senior Taiwanese military officer during a rare official visit to Europe, which provoked a sharp reaction from Beijing, reports „Reuters“, reports News.bg.
According to him, Taipei hopes that Kiev will achieve success in the war.
Since the beginning of the Russian invasion in 2022, Taiwan has received increasing support from countries in Central and Eastern Europe. However, most European countries continue to maintain formal diplomatic relations with China, but not with Taiwan. Unlike the United States, European countries have not sold defense technology to the island for years due to fears of retaliation from Beijing. Therefore, visits by Taiwanese military personnel to the Old Continent remain extremely rare.
At a security forum in Warsaw, Hsieh Ji-sheng, deputy chief of the General Staff for Intelligence at Taiwan's Ministry of Defense, said that Taipei was closely following the course of the war in Ukraine. "We wish the Ukrainians victory," he said, adding that Taiwan was drawing valuable lessons for its own defense from the military actions in Ukraine.
"Kiev's defeat will send a signal that China may take even more aggressive actions against us," Hsieh warned.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry responded by describing the Taiwanese officer's statements as an attempt to use a "hot international issue for political gain." Beijing stressed that the Taiwan issue was "purely China's internal matter." and should not be compared to the Ukrainian crisis.
Hsieh also drew attention to the intensified joint military exercises between China and Russia. According to him, if Beijing takes action against Taiwan while Moscow increases its offensive in Ukraine, the world could face a simultaneous challenge in Europe and Asia.
“Europe is fighting for its own security today. If you help us, together we can prevent a war in the Indo-Pacific region“, he added.
Taiwan has already joined Western sanctions against Russia and is carefully studying how the significantly smaller Ukrainian army manages to resist a far stronger enemy. From this experience, the island draws strategies for its defense, including investments in naval drones.
Over the past five years, Taiwan has signaled increased pressure from China - both through military maneuvers and through actions in the so-called “Gray Zone“: Cyberattacks, Sabotage of Undersea Cables and Disinformation Campaigns.
“We have gained significant experience in countering Chinese operations in the gray zone. This knowledge can also be useful for Europe“, concluded Hsieh.