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Comparing the heightened tensions between China and Taiwan to the ongoing conflict between Kyiv and Moscow, the Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), Jens Stoltenberg, has said that what happened to Ukraine could now happen to Taiwan next.
In a press conference on Monday, Stoltenberg said, "What happens in Europe matters for Asia." What happens in Asia matters for Europe, and today it's Ukraine; tomorrow it can be Taiwan," reported Taiwan News. He asserted to ensure that Ukraine prevails as a sovereign independent nation. "It is in our interest to ensure that Ukraine prevails as a sovereign independent nation, and the support we are providing is making a difference. There's a steady flow of ammunition, weapons from NATO Allies," added Stoltenberg. He stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin would "make the world more dangerous and us all more insecure," according to a NATO news statement. He said that it would embolden other authoritarian regimes, including those in North Korea, Iran, and China, to employ force. "The support we are providing is making a difference," he said, pointing to the continuous flow of ammunition and weapons from NATO allies to Ukraine and adding that it is in NATO's interest to make sure Ukraine maintains its sovereignty, Taiwan News reported. Stoltenberg stated that the Ukrainians were successful in repelling Russian soldiers and liberating 50 per cent of Russian-occupied land. The Russian military has suffered heavy losses, with over 300,000 deaths and the destruction of hundreds of planes and thousands of armoured vehicles, he told reporters. Stoltenberg stated that he will visit an Alabama facility that manufactures javelin missiles on Wednesday (January 31) "to recognise the importance of ramping up production, reported Taiwan News. Since 2020, China has increased the use of "grey zone tactics" in the form of deployment of military aircraft and naval vessels over the median line and inside Taiwan's ADIZ. China's Communist Party considers Taiwan its own territory, despite never having controlled it. While emphasising a preference for peaceful "reunification," Chinese officials have not ruled out the use of force. The historical roots of the Taiwan-China relationship trace back to 1949 when General Chiang Kai-shek fled with his nationalist forces to Taiwan after Mao's Red Army gained control in the Chinese Civil War. Moreover, Taiwan also remains a sensitive issue in US-China relations. During a recent summit with US President Joe Biden, Xi asserted that China's "reunification" with Taiwan is "unstoppable." The United States maintains an unofficial relationship with Taiwan, recognising China's position that Taiwan is part of its territory. (ANI)
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