Taiwan Fears Russian Invasion In Ukraine

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News

TAIPEI (Worthy News) -Taiwan has condemned the cozy relationship between China and Russia amid concerns the U.S. may be unable to protect the island as its attention focuses on avoiding war in Europe.

Angering Tapei, Russia has voiced its support for China’s stance that democratically-governed Taiwan is an inalienable part of China.
Moscow also opposes any form of independence for Taiwan.

The comments followed talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping during the Winter Olympics in Beijing.

In turn, Xi expressed support for Russia, accused of massing nearly 130,000 troops close to Ukraine’s borders as part of a possible invasion.

Moscow denies it has any intention to attack Ukraine but says it wants security guarantees that the Western NATO won’t expand further, including into Ukraine.

With the Russian military buildup continuing, Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen set up a task force to study how the confrontation in faraway Europe could affect Taiwan’s longstanding conflict with its larger, vastly more powerful neighbor, China.

“Taiwan has faced military threats and intimidation from China for a long time,” Tsai told a gathering of her national security advisers late last month.

Tsai said the people of Taiwan “empathize with Ukraine’s situation” as they too know what it is like to live in the shadow of an overbearing power, as China claims the island as its own.

Taiwan fears a clash in Ukraine could undermine American support for the island as it drains resources that might otherwise be directed at Chinese military ambitions in the Pacific.

Taiwan had expected that American military forces would intervene to stop a Chinese invasion, but the island fears that it may become more difficult.

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