To Deter China, Taiwan Must Prepare for War
Wall Street JournalDec 29, 2022
The Facts
The US Dept. of State on Wednesday approved the sale of a $180M military package to Taiwan, including Volcano anti-tank systems, cargo trucks, ammunition, and logistics support packages.
The Volcano can disperse anti-armor and anti-personnel mines over a large area within minutes. The package also includes dummy and test rounds for the M87A1 anti-tank system, as well as cargo trucks on which it's mounted.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
The United State's recent push to provide defensive military aid to Taiwan is an effort to prevent China from even attempting an invasion in the first place. China seems to only be ramping up both its military capabilities and aggressive rhetoric toward the island. Taiwan must begin taking faster steps toward completing its asymmetric defense strategy to defend itself from aggression antithetical to a rules-based order.
Establishment-critical narrative
After decades of non-interference policies beginning under the Carter and Nixon administrations, recent US presidents have betrayed the "one China" policy. Even before Nancy Pelosi's reckless trip to the island — in which she was escorted by warships and aircraft carriers — the Biden admin. pondered expensive military-industrial complex weapons packages for Taipei. This is a recipe for unnecessary war and a gross waste of taxpayer funds.
