With the recent headline of the Ukraine attack by Russia, I think there should be condemnations of all sides. While Russia should be condemned for the attack in Ukraine, this should not at all unexpected. Ever since the collapse of the Soviet Union, there has been an agreement that NATO would not expand eastward. However, it did not happen and many times Russia has warning the west not to do this. However, the ultimate red line for Russia was when NATO arming Ukraine. Ukraine is not totally innocent either, they accepted arms from the west so they can wipe out the ethnic Russians in eastern Ukraine. Ukraine’s President Zelensky let this happen and did little to stop it.
As a side note. While I am on the subject on the Ukraine attacks here, I thought this kind of ominous that these attacks coincides with the Olympics in China or in Russia as explained in this webpage. In 2008 Beijing’s summer Olympics happened around when the Russian Attacks in Georgia. In the Winter Olympics in Sochi at 2014, Ukraine declared its independence and now after the 2022 Olympics games in Beijing, the Ukraine happened. Maybe the west wants to defame Russia or China by provoking these wars.
Despite the warning from the US and the EU that the attack in the Ukraine is a bad idea despite months of threat, Russia went on anyways and US and the EU didn’t come to its aid by sending its troops. Despite all the condemnations and sanctions to Russia, Putin considers this a win because of the it had dealt the Ukraine a heavy blow morally. Anti-Russian sentiment within Ukraine is high and this attack shows that Russians within Ukraine should not be messed with. But I think China is the winner and Taiwan is the loser in all this.
What does this has to do with Taiwan and China? In the island of Taiwan, the west always sees Taiwan ‘Renegade Province’ and the US is helping Tsai Ing Wen to be China’s thorn. Just like when Ukraine was on their own when Russia invaded, I do not think the US will be helping Taiwan if China decides to invade Taiwan. Although he Quad talks tough, they would not do anything and the ASEAN countries doesn’t want anything to do with this. I doubt that South Korea would want to do anything with this either.
I’m hoping that this will be a sign that the Taiwan Province would be willing to negotiate with the Mainland for a peaceful re-unification because it seems less likely that other countries would come to Taiwan’s aid if there is an invasion.
Charles Liu says
I feel this doesn’t fundamentally change the fact ROC – PRC has a civil war requiring peace treaty. Despite US media as a whole self-censoring the term “Republic Of China” over “Taiwan”, this is again something that cannot be ignored.
But yes, as demonstrated by the Ukraine, US absolutely does not have Taiwan’s interest in mind. The only caution I would add is while war in “Eurasia” is fought by europeans, the nuclear option may be more readily put on table when it comes to ware in “Eastasia”.
Rhan says
can agree, the lesson learned is taiwan must arm themselves with nukes.
Ngok Ming Cheung says
As professor Mearsheimer and Kissinger noted a long time ago, John Mearsheimer in conference at University of Chicago in 2015, which is available in YouTube said, the problem in Ukraine is the fault of U.S.; U.S. has Monroe Doctrine which resulted in multiple regime changes in Western Hemisphere and Cuban missile crisis. Yet NATO wants to put missile in Ukraine neighbor to Russia. That’s poking polar bear in the eyes, Ukrainian politicians should have understood that even if Ukraine people don’t; they elected a comedian to be president who acted well on mass media, but they are paying for the joke. I hope Taiwan politicians learn something from this mess. China is in no hurry to invade Taiwan. The economic equation will do that. In 10 years when China’s GDP by PPP is twice of U.S. there will be no need to sanction Taiwan. China did learn this time on the economic nuclear weapons West employed. I expect by then China will have their own supply of semiconductor chips and digital RMB to bypass SWIFT.
Ngok Ming Cheung says
Western media censored pretty much everything despite claiming freedom of speech. Their reporting very much is propaganda with nothing from the other side. Any civilian casualty is by definition by Russians, safe passages of civilians are stopped due to Russian shelling, no way it might be by Ukraine soldiers wanting human shield. The nuclear power station shelled by Russian instead of Ukraine soldiers firing on Russian patrol. Senator Bernie Sanders make a speech in Senate on Feb 10 on double standards on Monroe Doctrine which was censored (by not reporting in any media), still available in C-Span.
pug_ster says
@Ngok Ming Cheung
I would disagree with the assessment China ‘invading’ Taiwan. The issue with US at the very moment with arming Ukraine is doing the same as in Taiwan but with less of a degree. Also, who knows what kind of government that Taiwan would come up with next, maybe they will form some kind of fascist government who looks forward to a war.
Fortunately geographically, China has the advantage since Taiwan is an island. So China can simply form a blockade around the island if China believes Taiwan drew a red line, needlessly for a bloodshed.