US Hawkish Lawmaker: "Xi Jinping More Likely to Invade Taiwan as China's Economy Worsens"

Mike Gallagher, chairman of the China-related special committee in the U.S. House of Representatives, claimed on the 11th (local time) that Chinese President Xi Jinping is preparing to invade Taiwan and that the more China's economy struggles, the more likely it is that China will attempt to seize Taiwan by force.

Gallagher, chairman of the U.S. House China Strategic Competition Subcommittee (Republican, Wisconsin), said in a discussion with the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) that "President Xi seems to be preparing for war (targeting Taiwan)" and "we tend to underestimate that possibility." This can be seen as a kind of rebuttal to U.S. President Joe Biden's statement at a press conference in Hanoi, Vietnam, the day before, where he said he did not think China would invade Taiwan due to economic difficulties.

Gallagher, considered a hardliner on China within Congress, expressed disagreement with President Biden's remarks. He also predicted that for China, which dreams of regional hegemony, Xi's long-cherished goal of controlling Taiwan is inevitable. He pointed out, "As China faces serious economic and demographic problems, President Xi may be willing to take greater risks, become more unpredictable, and there is a sufficient possibility that he might take some very foolish actions."

Furthermore, he mentioned the fact that the U.S. drastically reduced its troops right after World War II and fought the Korean War unprepared, resulting in the deaths of about 36,000 Americans, urging preparation to "avoid such a situation from happening again." Gallagher also noted that China views the Korean War as a "period when it achieved battlefield victory against the technically superior United States."

Raja Krishnamoorthi, ranking member of the China Strategic Competition Subcommittee (Democrat, Illinois), also expressed concern, saying, "If we clash with China over the Taiwan issue, there is a significant possibility that the Chinese Communist Party will launch a preemptive strike against U.S. interests or targets within the United States," adding, "This is not something that will happen far away but could occur right at our doorstep."

Meanwhile, the U.S. State Department announced that Secretary of State Antony Blinken will meet Wang Yi, member of the Chinese Communist Party Central Political Bureau and Foreign Minister, in the United States before the end of the year. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said at a regular briefing that "Regarding Wang's attendance at the (September) United Nations General Assembly, that is something China will comment on," but added, "Whether at the UN General Assembly or afterward, Secretary Blinken is expected to meet Wang in the U.S. within this year."

He said, "We believe it is important to communicate directly one-on-one with China," and added, "President Biden hopes to meet President Xi this late fall, and there is nothing that can replace one-on-one dialogue at the summit level." Earlier, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that Wang, who was originally scheduled to attend the UN General Assembly in New York as China's representative, will not participate.