CCTV claims US allegedly assigns Taiwan the role of cannon fodder
In Taiwan, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said that the United States and supporters of the island’s independence allegedly expose it to greater danger. The comment came after a speech by Raymond Greene, director of the American Institute in Taiwan, at the Taipei Security Dialogue, the South China Morning Post reports.
Arguments of the US representative
Greene said Taiwan does not need to prove its ability to achieve a complete victory in a war. According to him, the island must convince a potential adversary that landing and sustaining a large ground force would be extremely difficult due to densely urbanized and mountainous terrain, as well as 145 kilometers of open, rough sea.
Among Taiwan’s advantages, he named unmanned systems, mission command, and societal resilience. Greene also said that Taiwan had worked with US companies on developing drones, battle-tested autonomous systems, and other equipment. He added that it is difficult to imagine a more complex operation even for a military force with combat experience.
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CCTV comment
CCTV called this view a reflection of the US strategy toward Taiwan. The broadcaster claims that Greene’s words about there being no need for complete victory allegedly mean that the United States does not care whether Taiwan can win or lose.
According to CCTV’s version, Taiwan is assigned a role in confronting and deterring mainland China, while the island itself is allegedly intended to be turned into a battlefield for China’s prolonged attrition. The broadcaster also accused Hsiao Bi-khim, whom it called Taiwan’s second-highest-ranking leader, and the island’s leader William Lai Ching-te of using Taiwan to gain US favor and provoke conflict.
According to CCTV, Hsiao Bi-khim said in response to Greene’s speech that Taiwan should seek to achieve the goal of increasing defense spending to 5% of GDP. Greene, meanwhile, warned that even this level of funding would still be insufficient.
