During a trip to Taiwan on Thursday, former NATO secretary-general Anders Fogh Rasmussen said that the most effective way of stopping China from attacking Taiwan is to ensure Ukraine wins the war against Russia.
COMMENTS
Remarking that the parallel between China and Taiwan and Russia and Ukraine was “hard to ignore,” Rasmussen said that the international community “must not make the same mistakes” with Chinese President Xi Jinping as it did with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.
Commending “the free world” for showing “impressive unity” in response to the Ukraine war, Rasmussen said, “We can be sure Xi Jinping is watching closely.” “Any attempt by China to change the status quo in Taiwan by force should spark an equally unified response, and we must make this clear to China now,” he proclaimed.
Cheers to freedom and democracy!
— Anders Fogh Rasmussen (@AndersFoghR) January 3, 2023
It is great to be back in Taiwan 🇹🇼.
Thanks @MOFA_Taiwan for the warm welcome. pic.twitter.com/CL17HoRnyg
Rasmussen further suggested that European leaders publicly warn China about restricting its privileges and access to the global economy if it were to move to assert dominance over Taiwan. “Spelling out the severe economic consequences of any attack now would be a powerful deterrent,” he said.
Additionally, he applauded US President Joe Biden’s repeated confirmations that the US would come to the defence of Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion.
“The most important supplier of weapons and military assistance to Taiwan will be the US. However, to prevent a possible Chinese attack against Taiwan, European countries could assist in different ways,” he suggested.
Taiwan has become a beacon of liberty for the world.
— Anders Fogh Rasmussen (@AndersFoghR) January 4, 2023
It was a pleasure to meet and discuss with President @iingwen today.
I look forward to your address at the Copenhagen Democracy Summit in May! pic.twitter.com/50Vcc3U3A0
“Strategic ambiguity has been replaced by strategic clarity,” the ex-NATO chief underscored.
Elaborating on ways to offer help to Taiwan, Rasmussen said that “The first and foremost European contribution could be to join the US in comprehensive and profound sanctions against China.”
He further added that “Joint training or military exercises could be an important tool in that respect.” “We have done so with Ukrainian troops, and we can do the same with servicemen and women from Taiwan,” he explained.
Noting that Taiwanese allies, including Europe, must play a central role in delivering military assistance to Taiwan to make it “capable of defending itself,” he further remarked that the “cost” of invading Taiwan should be “so high” that “the leadership in Beijing would think at least twice.”
We must not make the same mistakes with Xi Jinping that we did with Putin.
— Anders Fogh Rasmussen (@AndersFoghR) January 5, 2023
We should make clear NOW that any move against Taiwan would entail a unified and determined response from the democratic world.
That is my message from Taipei today 🇹🇼 pic.twitter.com/PbYC4HKhEy
“We must be firm in our response to autocrats,” Rasmussen concluded, referring to Xi and Putin.
SIGNIFICANCE
Rasmussen, who also served as Denmark's PM, made the statement during his visit to Taipei, a first by a NATO chief.
He is currently visiting the self-governing island in his capacity as the chairman and founder of the Denmark-based Alliance of Democracies Foundation.