“War over Taiwan would change the world”

Australian ambassador warns
“War over Taiwan would change the world”

The People's Republic's military is repeatedly very active around Taiwan – and China is talking about reunification with the mainland. The Australian ambassador is concerned about the situation: He predicts when President Xi Jinping might take such a step.

Australian Ambassador to the United States Kevin Rudd warned in a speech of the global consequences of a war over Taiwan. “We would be foolish to ignore the increasingly clear military signals from China, including the patterns of behavior in its recent military exercises,” Rudd said. If Chinese President Xi Jinping, who turns 71 this month, wants to achieve Taiwan's reunification, he will likely act in the next decade, before he reaches 80, Rudd added in his speech in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Whether China acts will depend on how it assesses the strength of American deterrence. “The economic costs, the domestic political impact and the unforeseeable geostrategic consequences that such a war would entail would likely be of a magnitude not seen since World War II,” he said. The world after such a war would likely be radically different from what we know.

The United States has expressed concern about Chinese military activities near democratically ruled Taiwan, even after the island's presidential election and the inauguration of President Lai Ching-te last month. China has warned the United States not to interfere in China's affairs with Taiwan. Taiwan and the United States do not have official diplomatic relations. Nevertheless, the United States is the island's main international supporter.