United States Defense Secretary, Lloyd Austin, stated that a potential war for Taiwan would be “devastating” and might provoke a world-wide economic crisis “in ways we cannot imagine.” In addition to this statement, he highlighted the US support for Taiwan’s democracy.
The Secretary has affirmed that: “conflict is neither imminent nor inevitable. Deterrence is strong today – and it’s our job to keep it that way,” in the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit last Saturday. This event was attended by a number of representatives from different countries, including China, which is the main nation involved in the country for Taiwan. Later on, he added that:
The whole world has a stake in maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. The security of commercial shipping lanes and global supply chains depends on it. And so does freedom of navigation worldwide. Make no mistake: conflict in the Taiwan Strait would be devastating.
Regarding Continental China’s role in this situation, the Communist Party claims the Taiwanese island as a part of their territory, in spite of the fact that it has never been controlled by them. Recently, Chinese military activities are carrying out activities near Taiwan, which has led to international questioning of these actions.
Lloyd Austin’s remarks have been addressed as “catastrophic and terrible” due to the possible consequences a war over the island might bring, especially in the economic field. A conflict between China and Taiwan could also affect other nations along the way, and in this sense, the United States has firmly stated their point of view regarding the situation.