Former Taiwan President Says "Low Possibility of US Assistance in War with China"

Former President Ma Ying-jeou asks, "Is Taiwan ready for war?"
Respect for Taiwan comes when it becomes a bridge, not a Go stone

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Jo Young-shin] Former Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou expressed concern that if an actual war breaks out between China and Taiwan, it would not be easy for the United States to assist Taiwan.

According to Taiwan's Central News Agency on the 23rd, Ma stated at a lecture held at Sun Yat-sen University the previous day, "If a war breaks out in the Taiwan Strait, the likelihood of the United States helping Taiwan is low."

He pointed out, "Currently, there is not a strong will among the American people to help Taiwan, and the distance is too far. The US aircraft carriers are aging, and over the past 20 years, the Chinese Communist Party has been fully developing anti-ship missiles."

Former President Ma questioned, "War is not just a military issue; is the (Taiwanese) civilian population well prepared?" He emphasized, "It is not about claiming to withstand a strike, but preventing the outbreak of war is what national leaders must do."

Ma also criticized the current Tsai Ing-wen administration, saying that all of Taiwan's foreign policy focus is aligned with US President Donald Trump's reelection, adding that Taiwan can only be respected when it becomes a 'bridge' rather than a 'Go stone.'"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

During his tenure as a Kuomintang-affiliated president who valued stable relations with mainland China, Ma Ying-jeou has recently been strongly voicing political claims that the independence-leaning President Tsai is excessively provoking China, tilting solely towards the US, thereby causing tensions across the Taiwan Strait.

In a lecture titled "Cross-Strait Relations and Taiwan Security" held in Taipei on the 10th of last month, he also sparked controversy by stating, "China's strategy to attack Taiwan is to end the war quickly so that Taiwan has no chance to wait for US military support, and as things stand, the US military fundamentally cannot come."

Meanwhile, China's state-run Global Times stated on the same day, "China is by no means aggressive," but warned, "If countries such as the United States continue to provoke China's sovereignty, security, and national interests, China will resort to military means for self-defense."

The Chinese military is exerting military superiority and pressuring Taiwan by conducting daily military exercises centered around the Taiwan Strait.