Taiwan's vice defence minister warned that China represented an increasing threat to the island's security despite improving ties between the former bitter rivals, Taipei-based media reported Tuesday.
This is a statement of the obvious, but it needs to be said again and again.
Mr. Yang is in America seeking additional weapons to defend their island democracy:
Yang again urged Washington to sell F-16 fighter jets and diesel submarines to the island to help maintain the balance in the Taiwan Strait, the report said.
Yes. Another "duh" moment. I'm glad Taiwan still wants subs, although since we don't build them I'm not sure how they get them (from Greece, perhaps?).
But this is worrisome:
Analysts have said they doubt Washington would risk angering Beijing by approving more sensitive items like F-16 C/Ds and submarines.
I worried about this before. But it is disturbing to see it spoken aloud. These are sad days when a despotic country can bully our government into leaving an allied democracy vulnerable to conquest or pressure from a smiling thug state. Why doesn't China worry that their threats and general despotism risk angering us?
