US pushes Beijing as Trump sends warships to
disputed waters.
The strike group travelled
into the Taiwan Strait on Thursday led by the USS Ronald Reagan. Training
included flight operations with fixed and rotary-wing aircraft.
The group also undertook maritime
strike exercises and coordinated tactical training, the US Navy said in a
statement.
The US regularly sends
warships through the disputed waterway, an action which China condemns.
Prior to arriving in the
South China Sea, the USS Reagan was operating in the Indian Ocean before
returning through the strait.
However, China said the
United States was seriously undermining peace and stability in the Taiwan
Strait over their military exercises and deployments.
US official says amphibious assault of Taiwan
difficult for China.
It would be tough for China to conduct a
successful amphibious landing in Taiwan due to the distance and lack of
accessible beaches, United States National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien said
Oct. 16.
Speaking at a virtual edition
of the Aspen Security Forum, the White House official emphasized the
difficulties due to a distance of more than 100 kilometers between China and
Taiwan. Also, the existence of just four or five beaches suitable for
amphibious landings.
He estimated the communist
country still needed 10 to 15 years before it had an attack force strong enough
to make such an attempt, CNA reported. Turning to another possible form of
attack, O’Brien said China’s missiles could destroy Taiwan, but that would not
necessarily benefit Beijing as the international community would react with
revulsion.
The Trump administration
official called on Taiwan to strengthen its defenses and make any hostile
operations too costly for China to consider.
0 Comments