Biden says U.S. forces would defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion

[Scott]

WASHINGTON, Sept 18 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden said U.S forces would defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion, his most explicit statement on the issue, drawing an angry response from China that said it sent the wrong signal to those seeking an independent Taiwan.

Asked in a CBS 60 Minutes interview broadcast on Sunday whether U.S. forces would defend the democratically governed island claimed by China, he replied: "Yes, if in fact, there was an unprecedented attack."

Asked to clarify if he meant that unlike in Ukraine, U.S. forces - American men and women - would defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion, Biden replied: "Yes."

https://www.reuters.com/world/biden-says-us-forces-would-defend-taiwan-event-chinese-invasion-2022-09-18/

[thaibeachlovers]

I'm happy to read that, but they don't need to send American troops, just loads of anti ship and anti aircraft missiles.

[Scott]

Troll post removed.  Stay on topic or face a suspension.

 

[JonnyF]

For how long?

 

How long before an abrupt policy shift and a swift pullout as attention is diverted elsewhere, leaving loads of military equipment in the hands of the 'bad guys' ala Afghanistan?

 

I wouldn't be getting too excited if I were Taiwanese.

 

 

[thaibeachlovers]

21 hours ago, JonnyF said:

For how long?

 

How long before an abrupt policy shift and a swift pullout as attention is diverted elsewhere, leaving loads of military equipment in the hands of the 'bad guys' ala Afghanistan?

 

I wouldn't be getting too excited if I were Taiwanese.

 

 

If the US just sends missiles, there would be no troops to "pullout". It would also mean that the bad guys couldn't reach Taiwan.

[JonnyF]

3 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

If the US just sends missiles, there would be no troops to "pullout". It would also mean that the bad guys couldn't reach Taiwan.

It doesn't matter what they do. If they pullout half way through the job they'll do more harm than good.

 

The US has a habit of sticking it's nose into international affairs and then pulling out when policy changes or things get too difficult/drag on too long. Vietnam and Afghanistan are 2 examples.

 

Biden needs to make sure they are in it for the long haul before making promises like these. 

[thaibeachlovers]

3 hours ago, JonnyF said:

It doesn't matter what they do. If they pullout half way through the job they'll do more harm than good.

 

The US has a habit of sticking it's nose into international affairs and then pulling out when policy changes or things get too difficult/drag on too long. Vietnam and Afghanistan are 2 examples.

 

Biden needs to make sure they are in it for the long haul before making promises like these. 

They just need to send enough to do the job, then it doesn't matter. Enough for every ship and plane the Chinese have.

[nauseus]

7 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

They just need to send enough to do the job, then it doesn't matter. Enough for every ship and plane the Chinese have.

This is Taiwan - not Ukraine - completely different. Just "sending" stuff will not be enough.  

[placeholder]

3 minutes ago, nauseus said:

This is Taiwan - not Ukraine - completely different. Just "sending" stuff will not be enough.  

Taiwan has 100 miles of ocean between it and China. Atmuch of the border between Ukraine and Russia there was no barrier.

[nauseus]

2 minutes ago, placeholder said:

Taiwan has 100 miles of ocean between it and China. Atmuch of the border between Ukraine and Russia there was no barrier.

Not what I was meaning really. So I suppose you think that the Taiwan Strait is an obstacle for China?

[Denim]

Well.....probably will never happen.

 

Ukraine was a surprise. 1 year ago nobody thought we would be where we are today in Europe.

 

Taiwan is different. They have been preparing for a Chinese invasion for decades. They have everything in place to make any invasion an almost impossible task.  They can not be taken by surprise and will be fully mobilized before any Chine soldier gets a sniff of the beaches. It is just not at all likely to happen.

 

In addition to this the CCP must know that it would totally wreck their export driven economy which in turn would lead to massive domestic unrest.

 

Sanctions against China would bite fast and deep.

 

Just not going to happen.

 

 

Edited September 21, 2022 by Denim

[placeholder]

5 minutes ago, nauseus said:

Not what I was meaning really. So I suppose you think that the Taiwan Strait is an obstacle for China?

Yes. And that opinion isn't mine alone.

 

A Chinese invasion of Taiwan: Too costly to countenance?

Amphibious assaults are exceedingly difficult and if China was to invade Taiwan — and crucially hold it — Beijing would need to move hundreds of thousands of troops as well as equipment across the Taiwan Strait.

Even at its narrowest point the strait is 130 kilometers (80 miles) and weather conditions are notoriously unforgiving with two monsoon seasons.

That leaves just two brief “windows of attack” — May to July and October — for such a large-scale operation, according to a U.S. Naval War College report.

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2022/06/17/asia-pacific/china-taiwan-invasion-cost/

 

 

How difficult would it be for China to invade Taiwan?

First, the distance an invasion fleet would need to travel before it even gets to the island is daunting. The Taiwan Strait is 128km (79.5 miles) at its narrowest point between mainland China and Taiwan and much wider if embarkation ports where an invasion force would gather are to be considered.

While airlifts and vast fleets of planes can move a few thousand troops and keep them supplied, the sheer number of soldiers and vast quantities of supplies – armoured vehicles, artillery, ammunition, food, medical supplies and fuel – needed for a successful invasion could only move by sea.

https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2022/4/4/how-difficult-would-it-be-for-china-to-invade-taiwan

 

 

[nauseus]

1 hour ago, placeholder said:

Yes. And that opinion isn't mine alone.

 

A Chinese invasion of Taiwan: Too costly to countenance?

Amphibious assaults are exceedingly difficult and if China was to invade Taiwan — and crucially hold it — Beijing would need to move hundreds of thousands of troops as well as equipment across the Taiwan Strait.

Even at its narrowest point the strait is 130 kilometers (80 miles) and weather conditions are notoriously unforgiving with two monsoon seasons.

That leaves just two brief “windows of attack” — May to July and October — for such a large-scale operation, according to a U.S. Naval War College report.

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2022/06/17/asia-pacific/china-taiwan-invasion-cost/

 

 

How difficult would it be for China to invade Taiwan?

First, the distance an invasion fleet would need to travel before it even gets to the island is daunting. The Taiwan Strait is 128km (79.5 miles) at its narrowest point between mainland China and Taiwan and much wider if embarkation ports where an invasion force would gather are to be considered.

While airlifts and vast fleets of planes can move a few thousand troops and keep them supplied, the sheer number of soldiers and vast quantities of supplies – armoured vehicles, artillery, ammunition, food, medical supplies and fuel – needed for a successful invasion could only move by sea.

https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2022/4/4/how-difficult-would-it-be-for-china-to-invade-taiwan

 

 

I hope that an invasion never happens but I do disagree.

 

The Taiwan Strait itself is not an obstacle for China. The weather is actually moderate most of the time - these two brief “windows of attack” are mythical - the worst weather occurs when occasional typhoons are near - monsoon surges might cause brief delays but that's all. The distance is not a big issue at just a few hours sailing. The pictures of basalt columns on Penghu are interesting but inconsequential - an invasion effort would probably begin with a missile strike/bombing to flatten the islands, which might be bypassed in the first phase anyway, once disarmed. 

 

The terrain on much of the west coast of Taiwan (along about 200km in the southern part) is not as daunting as described, with numerous inlets, communities, farms and beaches with low-level quite flat land, not covered by high ground, which is far away to the east.

Edited September 21, 2022 by nauseus

[nauseus]

1 hour ago, Denim said:

Well.....probably will never happen.

 

Ukraine was a surprise. 1 year ago nobody thought we would be where we are today in Europe.

 

Taiwan is different. They have been preparing for a Chinese invasion for decades. They have everything in place to make any invasion an almost impossible task.  They can not be taken by surprise and will be fully mobilized before any Chine soldier gets a sniff of the beaches. It is just not at all likely to happen.

 

In addition to this the CCP must know that it would totally wreck their export driven economy which in turn would lead to massive domestic unrest.

 

Sanctions against China would bite fast and deep.

 

Just not going to happen.

 

 

I hope you're right.

[placeholder]

33 minutes ago, nauseus said:

I hope that an invasion never happens but I do disagree.

 

The Taiwan Strait itself is not an obstacle for China. The weather is actually moderate most of the time - these two brief “windows of attack” are mythical - the worst weather occurs when occasional typhoons are near - monsoon surges might cause brief delays but that's all. The distance is not a big issue at just a few hours sailing. The pictures of basalt columns on Penghu are interesting but inconsequential - an invasion effort would probably begin with a missile strike/bombing to flatten the islands, which might be bypassed in the first phase anyway, once disarmed. 

 

The terrain on much of the west coast of Taiwan (along about 200km in the southern part) is not as daunting as described, with numerous inlets, communities, farms and beaches with low-level quite flat land, not covered by high ground, which is far away to the east.

Lucky for China there's no chance that a major superpower might intervene on Taiwans side...oh wait a minute.

[nauseus]

29 minutes ago, placeholder said:

Lucky for China there's no chance that a major superpower might intervene on Taiwans side...oh wait a minute.

New goalposts please!

[placeholder]

6 minutes ago, nauseus said:

New goalposts please!

I should have added that a 3 or 4 hours on the open sea is a pretty scare prospect when you're being targeted by a major military power.

[placeholder]

Just now, placeholder said:

I should have added that a 3 or 4 hours on the open sea is a pretty scare prospect when you're being targeted by a major military power.

That 3 or 4 hours is probably an underestimate.

[Mac Mickmanus]

Lets hope that China and Russia don't join forces

[nauseus]

1 hour ago, placeholder said:

I should have added that a 3 or 4 hours on the open sea is a pretty scare prospect when you're being targeted by a major military power.

I have to assume that by "major military power" you are referring to the US? Well America would certainly change everything but that would mean far more than just sending arms and equipment.  

[nauseus]

1 hour ago, placeholder said:

That 3 or 4 hours is probably an underestimate.

A few hours of exposure is nothing to professionally trained marines and soldiers.

[thaibeachlovers]

7 hours ago, nauseus said:

This is Taiwan - not Ukraine - completely different. Just "sending" stuff will not be enough.  

Perhaps not but I was responding to a post that said the US may not stay the course, and enough missiles  might be enough, as long as landed in Taiwan BEFORE the US decides not to get involved.

Given their proven effectiveness in Ukraine, they might be enough to prevent an invasion happening.

[thaibeachlovers]

7 hours ago, nauseus said:

This is Taiwan - not Ukraine - completely different. Just "sending" stuff will not be enough.  

Better than nothing.

[thaibeachlovers]

7 hours ago, nauseus said:

Not what I was meaning really. So I suppose you think that the Taiwan Strait is an obstacle for China?

Yes.

[thaibeachlovers]

6 hours ago, nauseus said:

I hope that an invasion never happens but I do disagree.

 

The Taiwan Strait itself is not an obstacle for China. The weather is actually moderate most of the time - these two brief “windows of attack” are mythical - the worst weather occurs when occasional typhoons are near - monsoon surges might cause brief delays but that's all. The distance is not a big issue at just a few hours sailing. The pictures of basalt columns on Penghu are interesting but inconsequential - an invasion effort would probably begin with a missile strike/bombing to flatten the islands, which might be bypassed in the first phase anyway, once disarmed. 

 

The terrain on much of the west coast of Taiwan (along about 200km in the southern part) is not as daunting as described, with numerous inlets, communities, farms and beaches with low-level quite flat land, not covered by high ground, which is far away to the east.

The US, even with air superiority, had expected a massive loss of life if they had invaded Okinawa, and that was against conventional weapons.

Given modern missiles, a seaborne invasion now would be much more problematic for the invader, IMO.

[thaibeachlovers]

5 hours ago, placeholder said:

I should have added that a 3 or 4 hours on the open sea is a pretty scare prospect when you're being targeted by a major military power.

Especially when that superpower has attack submarines.

[placeholder]

5 hours ago, nauseus said:

A few hours of exposure is nothing to professionally trained marines and soldiers.

Can they walk on water? It's sailors who will be conveying them there.

[nauseus]

14 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

The US, even with air superiority, had expected a massive loss of life if they had invaded Okinawa, and that was against conventional weapons.

Given modern missiles, a seaborne invasion now would be much more problematic for the invader, IMO.

Did I say that it would not be problematic? 

[nauseus]

12 hours ago, placeholder said:

Can they walk on water? It's sailors who will be conveying them there.

Really? 

[nauseus]

14 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

The US, even with air superiority, had expected a massive loss of life if they had invaded Okinawa, and that was against conventional weapons.

Given modern missiles, a seaborne invasion now would be much more problematic for the invader, IMO.

Okinawa now? And 80 years ago?

 

They all have modern missiles now and you get one guess to say who has more?

Edited September 22, 2022 by nauseus