US lawmaker warns Beijing against 'unprovoked attack' on Taiwan

The US House Foreign Affairs Committee has the authority to declare war if Beijing makes an unprovoked attack on Taiwan, the head of the congressional body said in Taipei on Monday.

But committee chairman Michael McCaul said deterrence was the most effective strategy to prevent such an outcome.

"If the island in an unprovoked manner was invaded, then it would be to the American people and the United States Congress, and my committee that has the power to declare war, how to deal with that," McCaul said on the second day of a five-day trip to the island.

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"But my job right now is to make sure we do everything we can to make sure we never end up in that situation. And to make sure that deterrence is here to stop that from ever happening."

He added that both the US Congress and government were fully committed to ensuring that Taiwan had the necessary weapons for deterrence.

McCaul is part of a bipartisan group of six lawmakers visiting Taiwan despite warnings from Beijing.

The delegation is the first from the US Congress to make the trip since the May 20 inauguration of Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te. Its visit comes just days after Beijing conducted its largest military exercise in a year around the island - a response to what the mainland perceived as a "strong pro-independence statement" by Lai in his inaugural address.

Beijing sees Taiwan as part of China to be reunited by force if necessary. Most countries, including the US, do not recognise Taiwan as an independent state, but Washington is opposed to any attempt to take the self-governed island by force and is committed to arm Taiwan.

McCaul noted that under the Taiwan Relations Act, the United States was obliged to provide defence equipment and training to Taiwan, saying this could be a significant deterrent against potential conflict with Beijing.

He said that to step up this deterrence, the US was working to expedite the delivery of long-delayed weapons. Some of those arms have been on order for four years.

"We are moving forward on those weapons systems. I'd like to see it faster, but they are forthcoming," he said.

McCaul said Chinese President Xi Jinping had "bold and aggressive ambitions", and it was crucial to take every possible step to ensure that "the risks outweigh the rewards" for him.

"The key is to make sure that Taiwan has the weapons necessary for deterrence so when Xi's looking at that calculation, it doesn't look good for him," he said.

He said the military drills carried out by the People's Liberation Army last week "actually gave us some warning indications about what that would look like in terms of a response" by Taiwan and possibly, the US.

"I would say the focus would be maritime assets," he said, adding that weapons like Harpoon anti-ship missiles could effectively thwart a potential blockade by the PLA.

Regarding potential changes in relations following the American presidential election in November, McCaul said that regardless of the outcome, US support for Taiwan would remain steadfast.

Earlier on Monday, McCaul and his delegation met Lai, who conveyed his commitment to "enhancing national defence capabilities and demonstrating the determination of the Taiwanese people to defend their homeland".

McCaul was previously sanctioned by Beijing for his visit to Taiwan in April 2023.

Throughout their stay, the group plans to engage with other senior leaders and members of civil society to discuss various topics of mutual interest, including regional security, trade, investment.

The other members of the delegation are Republicans Andy Barr from Kentucky, who co-chairs the Taiwan caucus in the US Congress, Young Kim from California, and Joe Wilson from South Carolina, as well as Democrats Jimmy Panetta from California and Chrissy Houlahan from Pennsylvania.

This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright © 2024 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.

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