China will copy Russia and invade Taiwan if Putin somehow wins in Ukraine, NATO chief warns

NATO’s secretary general has warned that a Russian victory in Ukraine would set a precedent for a Chinese invasion of Taiwan, as the US claims Beijing supports Putin’s war.

Jens Stoltenberg told Swedish outlet Expressen today that China could be encouraged to take Taiwan by force if Putin’s invasion is successful, arguing “what happens in Europe today could happen in Asia tomorrow”.

“The outcome of the war in Ukraine affects the conclusions reached in Beijing. The same goes for Taiwan,” he said.

“If Putin gets what he wants with Ukraine by violating international law and using military force, it will send a message to other authoritarian leaders – including Beijing – that they can get what they want by using military force. ”

The warning came as Stoltenberg admitted that the devastated Ukrainian city of Bakhmut was likely to fall into Russian hands in the coming days after months of bitter fighting.

Jens Stoltenberg (L) told Swedish outlet Expressen today that “what happens in Europe today can happen in Asia tomorrow,” arguing that China and President Xi (R) could be encouraged to take Taiwan by force if Putin ‘s invasion is successful.

Ukrainian soldiers are seen in the BTR military vehicles on the road near the Bakhmut frontline as military mobility continues within the Russian-Ukrainian war in Khasiv Yar, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, March 7, 2023

Volunteer soldiers fire on Russian positions near Bakhmut, Donetsk region, Ukraine on Wednesday, March 8, 2023

A Ukrainian soldier shouts as he hides in a trench near the frontline town of Bakhmut amid the Russian attack on Ukraine, Donetsk region, Ukraine, March 8, 2023

China’s authoritarian President Xi Jinping has made it clear that he considers the island of Taiwan to be part of China under the “One China” doctrine.

Taiwan’s democratically elected President Tsai Ing-Wen argues that the island is a self-governing state whose population strongly opposes reunification with mainland China.

READ MORE: China blocks internet for Taiwanese islands in latest intimidation tactic to force reunification.

Xi has so far insisted he wants to pursue a “peaceful reunification process” but has said China reserves the right to use force as Beijing’s navy and air force regularly conduct threat drills and missile launches in the Taiwan Strait.

While the circumstances of a possible Chinese invasion of Taiwan can be compared to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the two conflicts would in reality be very tense, given the close economic and trade ties that Taipei and Beijing share with many Western countries and deep military tyres. be different than America with Taiwan.

Stoltenberg’s comments only add to strained relations between China and the West, which were further complicated on Tuesday when Beijing accused Washington of fomenting “conflict and confrontation”.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken claimed earlier this week that China is considering plans to provide weapons and “lethal aid” to Russia in its war with Ukraine.

Beijing’s new foreign minister, Qin Gang, told a news conference on Tuesday that there would be “catastrophic consequences” if the US continued on its current course.

“If the United States does not step on the brakes but continues to follow the wrong path, no guardrail can prevent a derailment, and conflict and confrontation will surely follow,” Qin told reporters.

The US Secretary of State called US criticism of China “a reckless gamble that puts the vital interests of two peoples and even the future of humanity at stake”.

Beijing helped thwart efforts to condemn Moscow at the United Nations after it signed a borderless friendship agreement weeks before the invasion began (Russian President Vladimir Putin is pictured).

It was “a zero-sum game of life and death,” he added.

Thus, China’s support for Russia was largely rhetorical and political.

Beijing helped block efforts to condemn Moscow at the United Nations after signing a borderless friendship agreement weeks before the invasion began, and has refused to publicly condemn the war.

China is also one of the largest importers of Russian oil and gas and considers its relationship with Russia essential to balance the influence of NATO and Western powers.

However, there is no public evidence that China is currently supplying Russia with weapons and has consistently called for a peaceful cessation of hostilities.

Beijing called the claim that it was considering arms sales to the Kremlin “slander” and said it had no evidence.

It insisted on being a neutral side in the conflict and pointed the finger at the US and NATO for fanning the flames.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) and Chinese President Xi Jinping pose during a meeting in Beijing

A Ukrainian soldier communicates on a mobile phone in a trench near the frontline town of Bakhmut amid the Russian attack on Ukraine, Donetsk region, Ukraine, March 8, 2023

Ukrainian soldiers drive a 2C1 self-propelled howitzer along a road near the frontline town of Bakhmut amid the Russian attack on Ukraine, Donetsk region, Ukraine, March 8, 2023

Self-ruled Taiwan’s 23 million people live under the constant threat of invasion from authoritarian China, which views the island as its sovereign territory and has vowed to one day take it by force if necessary

READ MORE: Are Putin’s ‘human wave’ attacks a deliberate ploy to slaughter Wagnerian mercenaries?

Stoltenberg admitted today that despite Russia’s incredible frontline losses in Ukraine, their constant pressure means the Ukrainian town of Bakhmut in Donetsk is likely to be overrun in the near future.

“They suffered huge losses, but at the same time we cannot rule out that Bakhmut will eventually fall in the coming days,” he said, adding: “It is also important to emphasize that this is not necessarily a turning point for the future. “the war.

“It just emphasizes that we should not underestimate Russia. We must continue to support Ukraine.”

The Russian mercenary group Wagner claimed on Wednesday that they had captured the eastern part of Bakhmut, which before the war was a busy industrial center of 80,000 people.

The announcement came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that if Bakhmut were toppled, Moscow would have an “open path” for offensives deeper into the country.

The intense fighting over Bakhmut was the longest and bloodiest of the more than year-long invasion of Russia that has devastated large parts of Ukraine and displaced millions of people.

EU ministers discussed plans to increase defense production and bring ammunition to Ukraine as it burns through thousands of howitzer shells every day.

“It is now a war of attrition, a logistical battle,” Stoltenberg said.

“The current consumption compared to the current production rate of ammunition is not sustainable and therefore we need to increase production.”

He welcomes pressure from the EU, which shares 21 member states with NATO, to boost defense performance.

“This is something we are working on. We have seen that important steps have already been taken,” he said.

“But we need to do more because we need to make sure Ukraine gets the ammunition it needs to defend against Russian wartime aggression and we need to replenish our own stockpile.”