World

‘China may invade Taiwan within two years’

Ex-US adviser urges Japan, US to resolutely deal with Beijing

Updated 11 months ago · Published on 05 May 2023 7:00AM

‘China may invade Taiwan within two years’ — Robert O’Brien warns that Taiwan could be in a very dangerous position if Japan, the US and their allies do not provide Taiwan with the weapons and diplomatic muscle needed to prevent China from believing they can invade Taiwan without consequence. – AFP pic, May 5, 2023

WASHINGTON – Robert O’Brien, who served as United States national security adviser in the administration of former US president Donald Trump, told Japan News on Monday that China may invade Taiwan within two years.

In the online interview, O’Brien urged Japan and the US to resolutely deal with Beijing.

In 2021, the commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command said that the window for a Chinese invasion of Taiwan would be six years, or until 2027, but O’Brien said, “I believe that window has gotten smaller. I think it’s down to a year or two.”

O’Brien, 56, also stressed that if Japan, the US and their allies do not “provide Taiwan with the weapons it needs to defend itself and give it the diplomatic muscle that Taiwan needs to prevent the Chinese from believing that they can invade Taiwan without consequence, we could be in a very dangerous situation in Taiwan.”

O’Brien is scheduled to visit Japan to speak at the Yomiuri International Economic Society on May 16. He also will attend an international conference in Tokyo. – The Washington Post, May 5, 2023