During a portion of an interview aired on Thursday’s “PBS NewsHour,” Commander of the United States Indo-Pacific Command Adm. John Aquilino stated that the lesson he learned from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is that the United States probably needs to move faster to fulfill its responsibilities under the Taiwan Relations Act and move more quickly to arm Taiwan to deter a Chinese invasion of the island.
Aquilino said, “[T]he actions and responsibilities under the Taiwan Relations Act, we probably need to go a little faster.”
He added, “That certainly means that the capabilities and the training that are required to defend the island, we should certainly ensure they are received, so the defense industrial base should be able to deliver those capabilities that the [Taiwanese] have purchased.”
Aquilino also stated, “Xi Jinping has tasked his military department to deliver the capabilities that he might need, should he decide to take a choice of force by 2027. He’s said it in open space. So, I believe that they will execute the orders of their president.”
Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett
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