Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX), the chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, has said sending troops to fight China over Taiwan would be “on the table” as a response to a Chinese attack.
“If communist China invaded Taiwan, it would certainly be on the table and something that would be discussed by Congress and with the American people,” McCaul told Fox News when asked about sending troops. “Are they prepared to do this? Is Taiwan worth it? I can argue for a lot of reasons why it is.”
McCaul said to send troops, Congress would need to authorize the deployment or issue a formal declaration of war. “You’re talking about an authorized use of military force that would come out of my committee or a declaration of war, which we haven’t utilized since World War II,” he said.
McCaul’s comments demonstrate the difference in rhetoric in Washington over Taiwan compared to Ukraine. Besides calls to implement a no-fly-zone over Ukraine in the early days of Russia’s invasion, no members of Congress have pushed for sending troops into the country to directly fight Russian forces.
The implication of a direct war between the US and Russia is that it could quickly go nuclear. While Beijing’s nuclear arsenal is vastly smaller than Moscow’s, the risk of nuclear war still exists in the event of a direct US-China clash, but American officials don’t seem to care.
In September 2022, President Biden vowed he would send troops to Taiwan to fight in the event of a Chinese attack. He was asked explicitly if, unlike Ukraine, American men and women would be sent to defend Taiwan, and replied, “Yes.”
McCaul said conflict with China is the “last resort” and that the US would focus on “deterrence” by increasing support for Taiwan. But China’s actions and rhetoric have made clear increasing US-Taiwan ties will make a military conflict more likely.
McCaul made the comments from Taiwan, where he led a bipartisan delegation to meet with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, who just met with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA). McCaul’s visit to Taipei came as China launched three days of major military exercises around Taiwan over the Tsai-McCarthy meeting.
These kinds of things should not even be said out loud. Fighting China? Is the dude nuts? If we fight China we’ll be in a nuclear war.
“Nuts”, or just “stupid” ? Consistent with our Idiocracy. Yes, our government is so messed up we have to make up more “ocracies” in order to more adequately describe it. 😉
The economy must be screwed up more than we thought. This is the only explanation for continuous war talk. We just need a decent war, Anyone will do.
as long as it remains decent anyway
There is never any mention in the US of the recent joyful visit to Mainland China of the ex-President of Taiwan Ma Ying-jeou. This visit showed that there are many on both sides of the Straights who believe in the long term reunification of China.
did our western media report that even one time?
If communists China reunite Taiwan completely, then Michael McCaul with his democratic USA regime should be send on the first ship out to China sea to fight with his boogeyman.
Once these war mongers died out in Congress then we can elected new leaders who are pro-Americans and anti war, that way we can spend a trillion dollar a year on our own country rather than giving it freely to US military complex and their secret bases around the world.
The repetitive claim that US will defend Taiwan if China invades is fear crapola by war hawks supporting theirs or their friend’s investments in war industry stocks. It is a slightly altered version of accusing China of sending ammunition to Russia that Russia does not need and for which lying cheating militarists have no proof.
It is the US that is running low on ammunition and China has no plans for subduing other Chinese with a military attack. Mainland Chinese offer Taiwan inclusion in governing China and enjoying peace. Chinese plans for peace and cooperation are known world-wide.
Americans fighting for Taiwan? Better hope and pray all the Americans are in the front of the convoy.
“If communist China invaded Taiwan, it would certainly be on the table and something that would be discussed by Congress and with the American people,” McCaul told Fox News when asked about sending troops.”
Now that is funny.
uncle sam is the idiot because even china’s girlys will kick his ass
re: McCaul ” sending troops to fight China over Taiwan would be “on the table. . .” . . .same table Obama used?
. . .past news headline: On Iran, Obama Says I Don’t Bluff’ And ‘All Options Are On The Table.’
Anyhow, even the US Army generals have enough sense to never have planned for, and not trained for, any ground actions against China. The Marines have trained for skipping around some islands and shooting something at China forces, which is downright silly.
By the way, the US has no defense pact with Taiwan, so there’s no basis for McCaul’s (or Biden’s) going to war chatter. A nation helping to defend a breakaway province is quite unique, but then any war is a racket so why not (they believe).
The warmongers like him always get the print from our state-affiliated media.
Some people are just plain stupid.