To Dissuade Xi Jinping From Militarily Attacking Taiwan, US Needs To Hasten Delivery Of Weapons, Says Top Pentagon General

On Friday, Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, called for a faster delivery of American weaponry to Taiwan in order to deter Beijing from taking military action against the island, The Wall Street Journal reports.

What Happened: During his visit to Tokyo, Milley expressed the need for an improvement in the speed at which the United States and other countries assist Taiwan in enhancing their defensive capabilities.

"If Taiwan has the military capability to signal to the leadership in Beijing that an attack on Taiwan, the cost, risk, of an attack on Taiwan, would exceed any potential benefit, then theoretically, if the leaders in Beijing are rational, they won't do that militarily," Milley said, according to the Journal.

According to Milley, Taiwan requires air defense, air-to-air defensive capabilities, and anti-ship precision munitions, as well as improved command-and-control capabilities. The U.S. has acknowledged a $19 billion backlog of arms deliveries to Taiwan, weaponry that had already been approved but had yet to reach Taipei.

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Why It Matters: The top general’s comments come amid increasing sorties by Chinese military aircraft around Taiwan as the island prepares for its annual military exercises later this month.

The escalating tensions between China and Taiwan have significant implications for regional stability and international relations. According to a China expert, President Xi Jinping has reportedly set a timeline for the annexation of Taiwan, a move that could potentially escalate tensions in the region.

China’s aggressive actions towards Taiwan have been met with concern from the international community, including the United States, which has reaffirmed its commitment to Taiwan’s defense.

Despite the international support for Taiwan, the island nation faces a significant threat from China. Under Xi, Beijing has massively ramped up military and political pressure to try and get Taipei to accept its sovereignty, including staging war games near the island and sending warplanes into Taiwan’s air defense zone.

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