US navy chief says Taiwan should strengthen its defenses

Taiwan should gird itself towards potential Chinese aggression by way of navy deterrence that features buying the appropriate weapons and correct coaching, the highest US naval officer mentioned on Tuesday.

“That is a big lesson learned and a wakeup call, particularly with respect to not only having the right kit but are people trained to use it the right way,” Admiral Michael Gilday, the chief of naval operations, mentioned at an occasion hosted by the Council on Foreign Relations that centered on information gleaned from the Russian invasion of Ukraine. “That shouldn’t be lost on us with respect to Taiwan.”

Gilday spoke on a panel of all six navy service chiefs, together with generals from the Army, Marine Corps, Air Force and Space Force and admirals from the Navy and Coast Guard.

China has mentioned it has no intention of attacking Taiwan, a self-governing island that Beijing views as its territory. It has usually protested US arms gross sales to the island as provocative.

Ukraine classes

The navy chiefs agreed that whereas it was too quickly to inform what the long-term implications could be for the struggle in Ukraine, and that there have been vital variations between the occasions unfolding in Europe and what might play out in Asia, there have been classes to be taken from the invasion and its aftermath.

“Geographically it’s a different problem set than Ukraine,” Gilday mentioned. “You’re not going to get in there quickly or easily after the bullets begin to fly.”

General Charles Brown Jr., the Air Force chief of employees, mentioned one lesson which may apply from Ukraine is that “the will of the smaller nation to fight, that has to be factored in. The reaction of the international community and how quickly they may or may not come together.”

Their remarks come simply days earlier than President Joe Biden is ready to go to Japan and South Korea as a part of an effort to kick off a long-awaited financial initiative for rising US involvement in Asia.