{"id":39285,"date":"2021-02-18T18:56:11","date_gmt":"2021-02-18T18:56:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/uncategorized\/2021\/02\/18\/cotton-give-china-crystal-clear-warning-not-to-invade-taiwan\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T21:53:18","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T21:53:18","slug":"cotton-give-china-crystal-clear-warning-not-to-invade-taiwan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2021\/02\/18\/cotton-give-china-crystal-clear-warning-not-to-invade-taiwan\/","title":{"rendered":"Cotton: Give China \u2018crystal clear\u2019 warning not to invade Taiwan"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON \u2015 It\u2019s time for the United States to be \u201ccrystal clear\u201d it will not allow China to invade Taiwan <\/a>and will end its longstanding \u201cstrategic ambiguity\u201d about whether it would come to the island\u2019s defense, said Sen. Tom Cotton, a senior Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking at a Reagan Institute event to unveil his economic strategy against China, Cotton said Thursday that the U.S. should respond to what he called China\u2019s sharpening rhetoric and actions toward Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory. Last month, the U.S. reaffirmed its support for Taiwan after China dispatched a dozen warplanes near the island.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe United States needs to be clear that we will not allow China to invade Taiwan and subjugate it. Case closed. No further debate,\u201d said Cotton, the ranking member of the AirLand Subcommittee and former chairman of the Economic Policy Subcommittee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think the time has come to be clear: Replace strategic ambiguity with strategic clarity that the United States will come to the aid of Taiwan if China was to forcefully invade Taiwan or otherwise change the status quo across the [Taiwan] Strait,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The U.S. should establish further \u201cclear red lines that will require a response by the United States,\u201d such as if China seizes any of the islands claimed by Taiwan or Japan, invades regional allies like India or permits an attack on American troops or allies by North Korea.<\/p>\n\n\n\t