Taiwan thinks China is learning lessons from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

By Ben Blanchard

TAIPEI, Feb 24 (Reuters) – The Chinese military is learning from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that any attack on Taiwan would have to be quick to succeed, but the Taiwan Strait would make it difficult, the minister said on Friday. Chinese Defense on the island.

The potential impact of the war on Chinese military thinking in Taiwan and how China might attack the island, which Beijing considers part of China’s sovereign territory, have been widely debated in official circles in Taipei.

Taiwanese Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng said the Chinese military took notice of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which began a year ago. Russia attempted to capture kyiv in the early days of the war, but failed.

“The Russian-Ukrainian war taught them great lessons: they will definitely seek speed,” Chiu told reporters in Taipei, referring to the Chinese military.

Chiu said that even if the Chinese forces planned a quick attack, they would have a hard time capturing the island in one fell swoop, as they would have to cross the Taiwan Strait that separates the two territories.

“They should still get over it,” Chiu said. “It wouldn’t be as quick as a week or two.”

China, which has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control, continues to organize almost daily military patrols near the island.

“I’ve said it before: as soon as the shots ring out, we’ll go all the way. But we won’t provoke it at all.”

The democratically elected Government of Taiwan affirms that only the people of Taiwan have the right to decide their future.

While Ukraine has won widespread support among the Taiwanese public and the Taiwanese government has sent humanitarian aid, China has refused to condemn Russia for its invasion.

The two countries announced an “unlimited” partnership shortly before Russia launched what it calls its “special military operation” on February 24 last year.

China said trying to mix Taiwan and Ukraine issues is a “blatant double standard” because the island has always been part of Chinese territory and is an entirely internal matter, according to Beijing.

“Taiwan will continue to stand firmly with Ukraine,” the island’s president, Tsai Ing-wen, wrote on her Facebook page on Friday, marking the first anniversary of the invasion.

“I believe that when people who love democracy come together, democracy and freedom will win.”

(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Additional reporting by Sarah Wu; Editing by Sonali Paul, Robert Birsel; Spanish editing by Darío Fernández)