On Journal Editorial Report, Sullivan Says Taiwan Election is a Huge Vulnerability for Xi
WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), a member of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) and the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), emphasized in an interview on Fox News’ The Journal Editorial Report this weekend that Taiwan’s upcoming presidential election is a huge vulnerability for China’s dictator, Xi Jinping. Taiwan’s presidential election is set to occur on Saturday, January 13.
“This is their eighth presidential election, and this is a huge vulnerability to the premise of Xi Jinping's dictatorship,” Senator Sullivan said. “Xi Jinping fears his own people and he fears that people on the mainland are going to look across the Taiwan Strait and go, ‘Wait a minute, how come we can't do that?’”
Sullivan also emphasized that the United States has “a long way to go to make sure we have strong deterrence” in the Taiwan Strait and that he hopes to “at least double or triple the amount of weapons that are sent” to Taiwan.
DAN SULLIVAN: Taiwan’s Upcoming Election is a Huge Vulnerability for Xi Jinping
HOST PAUL GIGOT: Well, when it comes to the Taiwanese election, it's fascinating to me because this is going to be a demonstration of Chinese democracy in action. I mean, this a presidential race is maybe not as nasty as ours, but it's every bit as hard-fought. I mean, you've got three contenders who could conceivably win. Is this what China is really bothered by? Seeing that, actually, here is a self-governing Chinese entity that could be an example on the mainland?
DAN SULLIVAN: 100%. And I think it's such an important point that we have to keep in mind-- you know, this is their eighth presidential election, and this is a huge vulnerability to the premise of Xi Jinping's dictatorship-- that one person ruling 1.4 billion people in perpetuity is the model for all Chinese. But it's not the model for all Chinese. And I think this is a vulnerability and Xi Jinping fears his own people, and he fears that people on the mainland are going to look across the Taiwan Strait and go,“Wait a minute, how come we can't do that?”’
And of course, Taiwan is a great example. You're right. It's a close election right now. But here's something else that Beijing should be worried about: Every one of these parties, even the KMT, they're all starting to move away from any kind of accommodation policy towards Beijing. Almost two-thirds of Taiwanese in recent polling now see themselves exclusively as Taiwanese. These are all things that I think Xi Jinping realizes. He's quite vulnerable.
GIGOT: Okay, now I know you're trying to get into the Ukraine-Israel-Pacific supplementals-- some real money for defense of the Pacific. What do you want to see in that legislation?
SULLIVAN: Well look, we need a lot more weapons systems, basic weapons systems that Taiwan can use to defend itself. Harpoons, for example, the ATACMS, stingers, the asymmetrical weapons systems-- many of which are effective in Ukraine, some of which are unique to Taiwan-- that they need, and we need to continue to do the training. We have a joint training team right now on Taiwan. It's not talked about a lot, but it's very important.
I pushed for a significant increase to the supplemental. The Biden administration's supplemental, as it related to INDOPACOM, was quite weak. We're trying to at least double or triple the amount of weapons that are sent there. But, Paul, as you know, deterrence in the Taiwan Strait relies on both what the Taiwanese need to be able to defend themselves, and if called upon, the US military to help defend them. I always believe strong sanctions that would be triggered by a military invasion by the CCP of Taiwan is something else that could be very important in terms of overall deterrence in the Taiwan Strait.
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