TAIPEI: If Russia defeats Ukraine, it can embolden China’s strikes in direction of Taiwan and Taipei hopes that Kyiv emerges victorious, a senior uniformed Taiwanese army officer mentioned this week throughout a uncommon go to to Europe, drawing an indignant response from Beijing.
Taiwan, which China views as its personal territory, has discovered an more and more sympathetic ear in elements of central and jap Europe since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, despite the fact that nearly all European nations keep formal diplomatic ties with Beijing however not Taipei.
In contrast to the US, Europe now not sells big-ticket defence objects to Taiwan, terrified of incurring Beijing’s wrath, and open visits to Europe by any Taiwanese army officers are extremely uncommon.
Addressing the Warsaw Safety Discussion board on Tuesday (Sep 30), Hsieh Jih-sheng, deputy chief of the overall workers for intelligence at Taiwan’s defence ministry, mentioned the battle in Ukraine was being intently watched in Taipei.
“We want for his or her victory,” he mentioned, in footage streamed on-line from the occasion, the place he attended in individual sporting full army uniform and talking in English.
“There are a lot of issues that we will be taught from the Ukrainian theatre that we will elevate for our general readiness,” Hsieh added. “The defeat of Ukraine will sign that China can take extra aggression in direction of Taiwan.”
China’s overseas ministry mentioned Taiwan was attempting to “capitalise on a sizzling concern and seize eyeballs”.
“The Taiwan concern is only an inner Chinese language affair, intrinsically completely different from the Ukraine disaster,” it mentioned in a press release despatched to Reuters.
