Edited By: Shankhyaneel Sarkar
Last Updated: February 27, 2023, 18:19 IST
The American and European response to Ukraine has forced Chinese President Xi Jinping to doubt PLA’s ability to invade Taiwan successfully (Image: Reuters)
The Russian military operation in Ukraine saw the US and Europe respond collectively and the CIA director thinks this is also making Xi rethink his position on Taiwan
The US Central Intelligence Agency Director William Burns said China is doubtful over its ability to carry out a successful invasion of Taiwan later this decade after observing Russia’s struggles to seize and keep territory in Ukraine over the past one year.
Burns said Chinese President Xi Jinping and the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) have doubts if the invasion can be accomplished.
“I think our judgement at least is that President Xi and his military leadership have doubts today about whether they could accomplish that invasion. As they’ve looked at Putin’s experience in Ukraine, that’s probably reinforced some of those doubts,” Burns was quoted as saying by CBS.
He reiterated that the threat of Chinese invasion of Taiwan is taken seriously by the US and the risks of a conflict will grow in this decade and beyond.
Xi Jinping wants the PLA to be ready to launch an invasion in 2027, if not sooner but Burns said the goal is not set in stone.
“President Xi has instructed the PLA, the Chinese military leadership, to be ready by 2027 to invade Taiwan, but that doesn’t mean that he’s decided to invade in 2027 or any other year as well,” Burns told CBS.
The Chinese President could also be factoring how the West would react to an invasion after it witnessed the US and the EU collectively support Ukraine following the Russian invasion.
China, which last week published a 12-point peace plan to bring normalcy in Ukraine, is being accused of considering supplying weapons to Russia as well as parts for its damaged tanks and planes.
Relations between both countries have hit a new low after a suspected Chinese spy balloon traversed North America for more than a week.
The US, according to a report by the Wall Street Journalhas increased the number of troops deployed to Taiwan. The numbers are now four times higher than what it was because it is conducting a training program for the Taiwanese military as a threat from China grows.
The US plans to deploy between 100 and 200 troops to the island in the coming months, up from roughly 30 there a year ago, the WSJ reported last week.
Beijing regards Taiwan as a part of China and said it will pursue its goal of reunifying the island with the “motherland” if required by force. It also displayed its dislike when then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the island last summer by sending warplanes and warships and firing missiles around the island in war drills.
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