>> Bill: THERE IS A LOT TO CHEW
ON THERE.
AN EMPHATIC NO FROM TAIWAN’S
PRESIDENT AFTER CHINA’S LEADER
CALLED FOR A PEACEFUL
REUNIFICATION COMING DAYS AFTER
BEIJING SENT A RECORD NUMBER OF
BOMBERS AND FIGHTER JETS INTO
THEIR AIR DEFENSE ZONE.
GENERAL JACK KEANE ON THAT
STORY.
NICE TO SEE YOU.
I WANT TO READ THE STATEMENT
FROM PRESIDENT XI.
YOU PAY CAREFUL ATTENTION TO
THIS.
NO ONE SHOULD UNDERESTIMATE THE
CHINESE PEOPLE’S STAUNCH
DETERMINATION AND ABILITY TO
DEFEND NATIONAL SOVEREIGNTY AND
TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY.
THE TASK OF THE COMPLETE
REUNIFICATION OF THE MOTHERLAND
MUST BE FULFILLED AND WILL
DEFINITELY BE FULFILLED.
WHAT HE TALKED ABOUT THERE WAS
A PEACEFUL REUNIFICATION.
HOW DID YOU INTERPRET THAT
MESSAGE?
>> THANKS, BILL.
CERTAINLY THAT WAS THE SOFTEST
DISCUSSION HE HAS HAD ON
REUNIFICATION WITH TAIWAN IN
SOME TIME.
AS WE KNOW, HE GAVE UP
DISCUSSION OF PEACEFUL
TRANSITION AND HE HAS BEEN
TALKING ABOUT A FORCEFUL
TAKEOVER AND SAYING WORDS TO
THE EFFECT WE WON’T PASS THIS
ON TO THE NEXT GENERATION.
IN OTHER WORDS, I’M GOING TO
RESOLVE THIS ISSUE MYSELF.
I DON’T WANT TO MAKE TOO MUCH
OF THE FACT THAT IT WAS A
SOFTER IN TONE BECAUSE I DO
BELIEVE ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER
THAN WORDS AND CERTAINLY 150
AIRCRAFT AS YOU NOTED IN THE
INTRODUCTION OVER A WEEKEND TO
INCLUDE A LOT OF THAT BEING
DONE AT NIGHT WAS NOT ONLY
INTIMIDATION AND COERCION AND
HARASSMENT OF TAIWAN, TO BE
SURE.
AND ALSO SENDING A SIGNAL TO
TAIWAN’S ALLIES IN THE REGION
THAT THE PRC IS DEAD SERIOUS
ABOUT TAKING OVER TAIWAN.
BUT THE REALITY IS THEY ARE
ALSO PRACTICING, BILL.
AND THAT’S WHY THEY WERE FLYING
AT NIGHT.
SO I THINK WHERE WE ARE HERE,
WHEN WE LOOK AT THIS SITUATION,
THE OUTGOING INDO CHINA
COMMANDER SAID WE’RE GETTING
CLOSER TO THIS POSSIBLY IN SIX
YEARS.
I THINK IN TERMS OF A POTENTIAL
INVASION AND TAKING BY FORCE.
LIKELY PRESIDENT XI IS MOVING
THAT UP A LITTLE BIT IN MY
JUDGMENT.
IT IS NOT IMMINENT BECAUSE NEXT
YEAR OLYMPICS, NEXT YEAR
NATIONAL PARTY CONGRESS WHICH
THEY HAVE EVERY FIVE YEARS, BIG
POLITICAL UNION AND THEY WILL
CERTIFY PRESIDENT XI FOR
ANOTHER TERM TO BE SURE AND
LIKELY 10 YEARS FOR CERTAIN.
SO NOTHING THERE IN TERMS OF
2022 OR MAYBE EVEN 2023.
AFTER THAT I DO THINK IT’S
GETTING CLOSER.
>> Bill: THAT FITS WITH WHAT
YOU TOLD US LAST WEEK HERE IN
NEW YORK.
"NEW YORK POST."
JOE BIDEN MUST STAND UP TO
CHINA AFTER THE LATEST THREAT
TO TAIWAN.
WASHINGTON NEEDS TO HELP TAIWAN
BECOME A NUT TOO NUT TO CRACK
TO WITHSTAND A BLOCKADE.
BIDEN MUST STAND UP TO A DICK
TORESHIP INTENT AN DOMINATING
THE WORLD.
WHAT DOES BEIJING HAVE TO DO TO
WAKE HIM UP?
I DON’T KNOW HOW TO ANSWER THAT.
WHY DIDN’T WE HEAR ABOUT THIS
DURING THE TRUMP YEARS AND WHY
IS IT TODAY IN THE HEADLINES?
>> WELL, THEIR INTIMIDATION AND
COERCION DURING THE TRUMP YEARS
WAS SIGNIFICANT.
TRUMP WAS THE FIRST PRESIDENT
IN SOME TIME TO REACH OUT AND
BEGIN TO STRENGTHEN TAIWAN’S
DEFENSES AND ALSO OBVIOUSLY TO
COUNTER CHINA.
NO ONE HAD COUNTERED CHINA
BEFORE.
PRESIDENT BIDEN CAME IN AND
TOOK GOOD STEPS TO HELP
STRENGTHEN IT.
THE QUAD ALLIANCE.
HE HAS MET WITH THOSE LEADERS
AS WELL AND NOW HE HAS AN
ALLIANCE WITH THE U.K. AND ALSO
WITH AUSTRALIA IN TERMS OF
NUCLEAR SUBMARINE PROPULSION.
WHAT IS MISSING IS FOR THE LAST
10 YEARS, PRESIDENT XI HAS
REALLY GONE AFTER CLOSING THE
GAP THAT SEPARATES CONGRESS
HONG AND ALSO TAIWAN FROM
MAINLAND CHINA.
WE HAVE SEEN HIM CRUSH HONG
KONG.
WE ARE TALKING ABOUT SPECIFIC
TERMS IN THE PAST DOING THE
SAME THING WITH TAIWAN BY
MILITARY FORCE IF POSSIBLE.
I HAVE THINK IT’S TIME FOR THE
BIDEN ADMINISTRATION, GIVEN
XI’S BEHAVIOR AND GIVEN THE
FACT THAT THE 1979 TAIWAN
RELATIONS ACT SAYS THAT WE HAVE
A RIGHT TO PROVIDE THE DEFENSE
TO TAIWAN IN TERMS OF ITS
CAPABILITIES BUT IT LEFT
AMBIGUOUS WHETHER WE WOULD
DEFEND IT OR NOT.
I THINK WE SHOULD REMOVE THAT
AMBIGUITY BECAUSE OF PRESIDENT
XI’S AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR AND
SAY UNEQUIVOCALLY THE UNITED
STATES WILL COME TO THE DEFENSE
OF TAIWAN IF THE MAINLAND CHINA
TAKES ANY MILITARY ACTION
WHATSOEVER.
AND LET’S GET THIS AMBIGUITY
OFF THE TABLE.
>> Bill: MAYBE WE GET TO THAT.
GENERAL, THANK YOU SO MUCH.