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US targets delays in Taiwan weapons deliveries amid warnings of PLA attack by 2027
- Island’s military chief Chiu Kuo-cheng says America has ‘taken many steps’ to hasten the delayed delivery of weapons orders
- The backlog of weapons purchases has various causes, including the pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine war and supply problems
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Lawrence Chungin Taipei
The United States is trying to expedite the delayed delivery of much-needed weapons ordered by Taiwan as the island seeks to fortify its defences, according to the island’s military chief Chiu Kuo-cheng.
Chiu’s remarks came as Admiral John Aquilino, head of the US Indo-Pacific Command, repeated his warning that the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) could potentially target the self-governing island within three years.
Echoing previous testimony he gave to the US Senate in March, Aquilino said in Tokyo that Chinese President Xi Jinping had directed the PLA to be prepared for potential action by 2027.
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“That is a specific task by the president to his military forces,” Aquilino said. “When [Xi] gives them a task, they will move out on it.”
Other US military officials and experts, including CIA director William Burns, have also expressed concern about the possibility of Beijing’s being able to attack Taiwan by 2027.
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Beijing regards Taiwan as its territory to be brought under control, even if it means resorting to force. Like most countries, the US does not recognise Taiwan as independent but is opposed to any forcible change in the cross-strait status quo.
While Washington maintains formal relations with Beijing rather than Taipei, it has remained committed to supplying Taiwan with weaponry to bolster its defences in the face of persistent threats from the PLA.
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