Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Ely Ratner said on Wednesday that he believes it will be "really hard," but nevertheless "doable," to deter China from attacking Taiwan before the end of the decade
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 02nd March, 2023) Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Ely Ratner said on Wednesday that he believes it will be "really hard," but nevertheless "doable," to deter China from attacking Taiwan before the end of the decade.
"I think it's doable. It's going to be really hard, but I think it's worth getting after it with urgency, but also with confidence that we can do it," Ratner said during a discussion at the Hudson Institute.
The Defense Department assesses that the United States' deterrence of China is real and strong, and Washington is doing everything it can to make sure it stays that way even though Beijing's capabilities and ambitions are allegedly growing, Ratner added.
On Tuesday, Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth said that the Biden administration's goal is to avoid having to fight any land war in Asia and with this aim in mind it is seeking to reduce tensions in diplomatic relations with China.
Wormuth added that the US Army is deploying increasingly significant forces in the Indo-Pacific region on rotational tours every year in order to deter China from any military moves against Taiwan.
Taiwan has been governed independently from mainland China since 1949. Beijing views the island as its province and opposes any official contacts by foreign states with Taipei, considering Chinese sovereignty over the island to be indisputable.
