Taiwanese Defence Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng said on Thursday that no matter who wins in any future war between Taiwan and China, it would be a “miserable victory.”
“If there’s a war, to be frank, everyone will be miserable, even for the victors. One really needs to think this through,” he said. Chiu also added that in the event that Beijing attempts to reclaim Taiwan by force, both sides would pay a heavy price in the conflict and therefore, it would be best if everyone avoided conflict.
The defence minister made the comments while speaking to the press before a parliamentary session on the security implications of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Since the onset of Russia’s war on the eastern European country, there have been concerns that China could seek to take similar action in Taiwan, as Beijing considers the self-governing island to be a breakaway province and has previously warned that reunification is only a matter of time and could be achieved via force if necessary.
1 PLA Y-8 EW entered #Taiwan’s southwest ADIZ on March 9, 2022. Please check our official website for more information: https://t.co/HaYCOo8lnt pic.twitter.com/tSV8gBZ9nU
— 國防部 Ministry of National Defense, R.O.C. 🇹🇼 (@MoNDefense) March 9, 2022
China and Taiwan have both dismissed such comparisons on various occasions. Cabinet spokesperson Lo Ping-cheng said in a statement earlier this month that “There are those using this opportunity to manipulate the so-called (topic) of ‘today’s Ukraine, tomorrow’s Taiwan,’ trying to inappropriately link Ukraine’s situation with Taiwan’s, disturbing people’s morale. This is inadvisable.” He further argued that “Taiwan has a natural barrier of the Taiwan Strait, which separates it from China. In all areas, the two cannot be compared.”
Despite dismissing such parallels and reporting no unusual Chinese manoeuvres, the Taiwanese government remains on high alert due to concerns that China may attempt to take advantage of the fact that international attention and efforts have been somewhat diverted by the Ukraine crisis. “We watch the changes calmly and we are prepared accordingly,” Defence Minister Chiu said of Taiwan’s preparedness.
Taiwan's military strategists have been studying Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and the country's resistance, for the island's own battle strategy in the event its giant neighbor China ever makes good on its threat to take them by force https://t.co/TYEE7uot99 1/6 pic.twitter.com/WAgklrr7V7
— Reuters (@Reuters) March 9, 2022
In fact, Taiwan’s military strategists have also gone to the extent of studying Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the country’s resistance in the hopes of formulating their own battle strategy with its powerful neighbour China. Pointing to Ukraine’s experience of being able to leverage fighting on home ground, the island’s defence ministry said in a statement that its forces have already been incorporating “asymmetric warfare” into their own planning.
Against this backdrop, Chinese military spokesperson Wu Qian sounded a warning to Taiwan at the annual session of the National People’s Congress on Wednesday. Wu said that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) “will not tolerate any “Taiwan independence” secessionist or interference by external forces,” and declared that the PLA will “hit them every time they emerge.”
“There is only one China in the world, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of the Chinese territory. Compatriots from both sides of the Taiwan Straits are blood relatives with a shared future,” he declared.