DefenceTalkThe US military must be ready to respond to a potential invasion of Taiwan as soon as this year, a senior admiral said Wednesday, signaling heightened alarm over Beijing’s intentions towards the island. Admiral Michael Gilday, chief of US naval operations, is the latest senior official in Washington to raise concerns that China’s President Xi […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-must-prepare-now-for-china-invasion-of-taiwan-admiral-79533/

DefenceTalkTaiwan’s foreign minister said Tuesday that Beijing is using air and sea drills encircling the island to prepare for an invasion and to change the status quo in the Asia-Pacific region. China launched its largest-ever war games around Taiwan last week in a furious response to a visit by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the […]https://www.defencetalk.com/taiwan-fm-says-china-using-drills-to-prepare-for-invasion-79184/

DefenceTalkOn Taiwan’s tiny Penghu islands, the missile bases that sit next to white-sand beaches and bustling fish markets are a visceral reminder of the constant threat of attack from China. Despite the huge military discrepancy between the two sides, many analysts believe Taiwan’s location, inhospitable terrain and US support mean China would find a full-scale […]https://www.defencetalk.com/a-chinese-invasion-of-taiwan-too-costly-to-countenance-78984/

DefenceTalkPresident Joe Biden has ordered the reestablishment of a US troop presence in Somalia to help local authorities combat the Al-Shabaab militant group, a senior American official told reporters Monday. The move reverses an order from Biden’s predecessor Donald Trump, who in late 2020 pulled nearly all US forces from the East African nation as […]https://www.defencetalk.com/biden-reestablishes-us-troop-presence-inside-somalia-78796/

DefenceTalkChina on Thursday denied a report it asked Russia to delay its invasion of Ukraine until after the Beijing Winter Olympics, as international scrutiny grows of warming ties between the two powers. Beijing has taken a cautious line over the actions of its close ally and President Xi Jinping held a meeting last month with […]https://www.defencetalk.com/china-denies-asking-russia-to-delay-invasion-until-after-olympics-78258/

DefenceTalkChina on Wednesday accused the United States of “raising tensions” and “creating panic” over the Ukraine crisis, shortly after Washington announced sanctions against Moscow and said it would continue to supply weapons to Ukraine against a Russian invasion. Beijing has trod a cautious line on Ukraine as Moscow has massed thousands of troops on the […]https://www.defencetalk.com/china-accuses-us-of-raising-tensions-on-ukraine-issue-78044/

DefenceTalkUS Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Saturday that recent extensive Chinese military operations near Taiwan resembled “rehearsals” and he reaffirmed Washington’s strong support for Taipei. President Joe Biden’s Pentagon chief said the United States remained committed to supporting “Taiwan’s ability to defend itself.” In a speech devoted largely to an array of challenges posed by […]https://www.defencetalk.com/pentagon-chief-says-china-ops-near-taiwan-resemble-rehearsals-77544/

DefenceTalkThe United States would defend Taiwan if the island were attacked by China, President Joe Biden said Thursday, a declaration welcomed by the democratic island that risks fury from Beijing. Authoritarian China regards self-ruled Taiwan as its own territory and has vowed to one day seize the island, by force if needed. Beijing’s saber-rattling has […]

DefenceTalkWashington: The United States on Tuesday denied involvement and alleged propaganda by leftist-led Venezuela after two Americans were said to have been arrested following a mysterious, deadly sea invasion. President Nicolas Maduro, whom the United States has been unsuccessfully trying to topple for more than a year, appeared on state television Monday with the US […]https://www.defencetalk.com/trump-denies-us-role-in-mysterious-venezuela-sea-invasion-75416/

DefenceTalkCARACAS: Two Americans were detained in Venezuela on Monday on suspicion of plotting to topple President Nicolas Maduro’s government, which has accused US-backed opposition leader Juan Guaido of bankrolling the scheme. The arrests came a day after the government said it foiled an “invasion” from the sea, killing eight assailants and capturing two others. Maduro […]https://www.defencetalk.com/venezuela-arrests-two-americans-for-failed-invasion-75396/