First time! Be careful of the US's "bait military aid" President | withdrawal power | United States
This is the first time that the Biden administration has used its presidential withdrawal power to provide assistance to Taiwan.
In response, Tan Kefei, spokesman of the Ministry of National Defense of China, said on August 1 that the United States provided military assistance to Taiwan, China, interfered violently in China's internal affairs, seriously damaged China's sovereignty and security interests, and seriously threatened peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. We firmly opposed this and have made solemn representations to the United States.
We urge the US to stop all forms of military collusion between the US and Taiwan, and not to go further down the wrong and dangerous path. The historical wheel of China's reunification is rolling forward, and no one or any force can stop it. The People's Liberation Army of China closely monitors the situation in the Taiwan Strait, always maintains a high level of vigilance, resolutely defends national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and firmly upholds peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.
"Bait military aid"
According to the White House website, the Biden administration has used the "presidential withdrawal power" for the first time in providing military aid to Taiwan. What is "presidential withdrawal power"? Why is Washington willing to use this presidential power to provide military aid to Taiwan?
The presidential withdrawal power is rarely used, mainly to speed up the process. If going through Congress, the process of both houses of Congress takes a relatively long time, and there is also a bargaining process in Congress, which is relatively inefficient. Providing the President with such power specifically is to improve efficiency.
Song Zhongping pointed out that the amount involved in "presidential withdrawal power" is generally not very large, and the affairs involved are generally urgent, which is a concept of "emergency withdrawal". The Biden administration's use of presidential powers to provide military aid to Taiwan this time is not significant, but behind this lies a US strategy of "luring military aid".
The so-called "bait military aid" refers to providing some "sweetness" as "emergency support" in the form of military aid, and if you want more, you have to pay for it. In other words, under the name of "military aid", the practice of large-scale military sales can be described as a mouse pulling a wooden shovel - with the big head at the back.
Not only in Taiwan, the United States is doing this in many places, including the Philippines. The US military aid to Taiwan this time is only 345 million US dollars, and previous reports have also mentioned that it should not exceed 500 million US dollars, and the "big head" has to rely on buying.
For example, this military aid includes "training costs", which accounts for a high proportion. If the US military trains the Taiwanese military to use certain American made weapons and equipment, but the backend authorities lack such equipment after the training, it will require a large purchase.
"Armed porcupine"
What calculations is the United States making with such hidden ears and stolen bells?
Song Zhongping believes that on the one hand, the United States constantly "arm Taiwan" and encourage Taiwan to "use military force to resist reunification". At the same time, it can also sell a large amount of weapons and equipment to Taiwan, with the aim of inciting an arms race between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait. "The Chinese fight against the Chinese" can be described as killing two birds with one stone. Therefore, a large amount of military aid and sales to Taiwan precisely serve the true purpose behind the "beautiful words" of the United States.
On the other hand, the United States is unwilling to directly confront the People's Liberation Army and avoid a direct military conflict with China. It hopes more for a "wolf pack tactic" relying on allies, but at the same time, it is concerned that allies such as Japan, South Korea, and Australia may not be willing to come to the front line to "defend Taiwan". Therefore, its strategy remains primarily to encourage the Taiwan authorities to "defend themselves".
From the perspective of the United States, whether it is the "porcupine strategy", "hedgehog strategy", or "iron barrel strategy", the essence is the same, which is to encourage Taiwan to purchase various offensive and defensive weapons and equipment from the United States, turning the Taiwan authorities into "iron barrels".
In addition, military aid also includes training in the "Han Guang" military exercise, which shows that the actual combat effectiveness of the Taiwan military is very problematic. The US military also wants to increase training efforts.
Play the "three cards" well
On this issue, China has no room for compromise or compromise.
The One China principle established in the three joint communiqu é s between China and the United States is an important cornerstone for establishing diplomatic relations and maintaining normal relations between the two countries. If this cornerstone is shaken, the relationship between the two countries will experience serious regression.
In February of this year, the Chinese government implemented countermeasures against the actions of American military industry companies Thor Technologies and Lockheed Martin. Song Zhongping believes that in the face of repeated provocations from the United States, in the long run, China should also play its cards well.
The first one is the "technology card", which aims to independently develop technological capabilities and accelerate the realization of technological autonomy. The core of American hegemony is actually technological hegemony, and China's strengthening of technological capabilities can help resolve the impact of American technological hegemony. At present, we have some key technologies that are at the forefront of the world, and China also has advantages in the production of key minerals required by cutting-edge technology. However, China still needs to accelerate the development speed of core technologies.
The second one is to play the "international card", effectively exposing the ugly words and actions of the United States in the international community. Countries that have established diplomatic relations with China recognize the One China principle. We need to expose some of the hypocritical actions of the United States, while also uniting the vast majority of countries in the international community to jointly oppose American hegemony and encourage the development of multilateral mechanisms.
The third card is the "economic card" and the "military card", which are closely related. At present, our most fundamental task is to have a stable pace of economic development and unwavering military preparedness. China does not create trouble or cause trouble, but it must have the ability to handle it.
