Biden: China’s Economic Challenges Hinder Capacity to Invade Taiwan
U.S. President Joe Biden stated that China’s economic challenges may prevent them from invading Taiwan, suggesting that Beijing may no longer have the ability to do so. President Biden, who had just finished attending the G20 summit in India, arrived in Vietnam on September 10 and expressed his desire to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in the near future. When asked why he hadn’t met with Xi in 10 months, Biden mentioned that Xi has other pressing matters to attend to, such as youth unemployment and economic difficulties. However, Biden reassured that his staff still maintains contact with Xi’s team and that he had met with his number-two person during his visit to India. They last met in November 2022 during the G20 summit in Bali. Biden explained that China is currently facing economic challenges due to international growth issues and their policies, which leads him to believe that a Chinese invasion of Taiwan is unlikely. The United States has no intention of severing ties with China, but they will halt the sale of materials that could potentially contribute to China’s nuclear weapons program. China’s economy is at risk of missing its annual growth target, as they grapple with a property slump, weak consumer spending, and declining credit growth. The CCP perceives Taiwan as a renegade province that must be unified with China, even though Taiwan is a self-governing democracy. Chinese incursions into Taiwan have become more frequent as the CCP intensifies military pressure on the island. On September 11, Taiwan’s military detected multiple Chinese warplanes and vessels, prompting them to deploy their own assets to monitor the situation. Journalist Gordon Chang warned that China’s domestic problems could lead Xi to initiate an invasion of Taiwan. Chang argued that Xi may resort to war to divert attention from China’s policy mistakes. Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu speculated that China might take action against Taiwan in 2027, as Xi may see it as an opportunity to leave a legacy during his fourth term.
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