China's first potential target is Taiwan, says US Commander

Washington[US], March 12 As Taipei continues to remain at the forefront of the escalating tensions between Washington and Beijing, Taiwan could be the first potential target of Chinese military aggression in the next five to 10 years, a top U.S. military commander said.
According to Focus Taiwan, Philip Davidson, commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, made the comments in response to questions from Republican lawmaker Scott DesJarlais during a House Armed Services Committee hearing on national security challenges on Wednesday, including what he considers to be the most likely target of Chinese aggression or military action in the next 5 to 10 years.
"Given what they've said both publicly and over time, and certainly during the tenure of Chairman Xi Jinping, I would say Taiwan is the first," Davidson said.
On Tuesday, the commander said that Beijing's threats toward Taiwan could manifest in the next six years as China seeks to supplant the U.S. leadership role in the international order.
Focus Taiwan further reported that the US Commander was also asked to express his views on how cross-Taiwan Strait relations have evolved over the past three years during his tenure as commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.
He responded that China's revocation of its "one country, two systems" approach in Hong Kong alarmed Taiwan to an extent that during Taiwan's 2019 legislative elections, both the Democratic Progressive Party and the Kuomintang had to voice their opposition to the "one country, two systems" approach.
"So it has steeled, I think, Taiwan's status in the region and I think all other nations in the region as well have noticed a very pernicious approach that China took to Hong Kong and that has put a chill on many relationships as well," Davidson said.
David F. Helvey, acting assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs, said the future of the U.S. is inextricably linked to that of the Indo-Pacific region.
"As our department's priority theater, we're committed to upholding a free and open Indo-Pacific region where all nations, large and small, are secure in their sovereignty, can pursue economic opportunity and resolve disputes without coercion, and can exercise the freedoms of navigation over flight, consistent with an open and stable international order," Helvey explained.
The White House on Monday said that Washington will continue to contribute to Taiwan's self-defence capabilities.
"Our position on Taiwan remains clear. We will stand with friends and allies to advanced our shared prosperity, security and values. And in the Indo-Pacific region, we maintain our long-standing commitment," White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters in a press briefing.
"We maintain our long-standing commitments as outlined in the three communicates, the Taiwan Relations Act and the six assurances. We will continue to assist Taiwan in maintaining a sufficient self-defense capability. So our position remains the same," she added.
Sputnik citing an official reported that a State Department bilateral fact sheet stated the US and Taiwan enjoy an unofficial relationship, but Washington does not support the Island's independence.
A 1979 pact with China switched US diplomatic recognition to Beijing, although The Taiwan Relations Act, passed by Congress in that same year, allows Washington to support the island's defensive capabilities.
Deeming one-China policy as outdated and counter-productive, recently two United States congressmen have introduced a resolution calling for the US government to resume formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan.
The bill, US Congress House Concurrent Resolution 21, was sponsored by US House representatives Tom Tiffany and Scott Perry on February 26, Focus Taiwan reported. The resolution called US government to scrap the one-China policy.
Beijing claims full sovereignty over Taiwan, a democracy of almost 24 million people located off the southeastern coast of mainland China, despite the fact that the two sides have been governed separately for more than seven decades.
Taipei, on the other hand, has countered the Chinese aggression by increasing strategic ties with democracies including the US, which has been repeatedly opposed by Beijing.
Taiwan returned to the forefront of US-China tensions last weekend when Beijing sent more than two dozen warplanes into the self-governing island's air defence identification zone in a 48-hour period.
While the frequency of such drills has increased in recent years, the timing and the composition of the latest formations -- mostly fighter jets and bombers -- appeared intended to send a message to the new administration in Washington, reported CNN.