GOP Presidential Candidate Tells How US Can Protect Taiwan Without Going To War With China: 'Give Xi Jinping Taste Of American Exceptionalism'

Republican presidential primary Vivek Ramaswamy on Sunday said the U.S. should give Xi Jinping "a taste of American exceptionalism" to protect Taiwan.

What Happened: Ramaswamy, an entrepreneur turned politician, took to Twitter over the weekend to share his views on the ways of protecting Taiwan without going to war with China. 

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"Here's how we protect Taiwan without going to war with China: open a branch of the NRA [National Rifle Association] in Taiwan, put an AR-15 in the hands of every family, and train them how to use it. That'll give Xi Jinping a taste of American exceptionalism."

This is not the first time Ramaswamy has come up with this controversial suggestion to protect Taipei amid fear of invasion from Beijing. In April, he made similar comments and suggested that the U.S. should “put a gun in every Taiwanese household” to stop China from invading Taiwan. 

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Why It Matters: Taiwan and its Western allies have repeatedly warned that Xi is learning from the ongoing war in Ukraine and can attack the island nation soon. China considers Taiwan a renegade province and has not ruled out using force to take control.

Beijing has long desired reunification with Taiwan, a goal that remains a top priority for the Xi-led Chinese administration.

Media reports indicate that growing concerns over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have prompted an increasing number of Taiwanese to seek shooting lessons. However, in Taiwan, this instinct to arm oneself faces significant obstacles due to stringent gun control laws and a complex history between its people and military, rooted in the days of martial law under the Kuomintang, or Nationalist Party.

Rising gun violence in the U.S. has gotten so worse that it has prompted Canada to issue a travel advisory asking its citizens to "familiarize yourself on how to respond to an active shooter situation." 

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