Should Taiwan worry about the US being bogged down in the Mideast again?
A US war in the Middle East could leave its armed forces stretched too thin to respond swiftly to a Taiwan Strait crisis, analysts on the island warned after the
US launched multiple precision strikes on nuclear-related sites in Iran on the weekend.
While US President Donald Trump was quick to describe the operation as a 'very successful attack', defence analysts and lawmakers in Taipei suggested that American attention could be
diverted from the Taiwan Strait
Their core concern: that the United States, already deeply engaged in supporting Ukraine, would have
fewer military resources and less political bandwidth to respond swiftly should Beijing move against Taiwan.
'There's no question Taiwan remains a core US interest,' said Li Da-jung, professor of international relations at Tamkang University in New Taipei City.
'But if America finds itself managing two major conflicts at once, we have to ask: how many resources can it realistically spare for us, should Beijing choose that moment to act?'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RTHK
3 hours ago
- RTHK
Trump says Iran and Israel agree to total ceasefire
Trump says Iran and Israel agree to total ceasefire Writing on social media, US President Donald Trump said the ceasefire would bring about an 'official end' to the 12-day conflict. File photo: AFP US President Donald Trump has said that a "complete and total" ceasefire between Israel and Iran will go into force with a view to ending the conflict between the two nations. "On the assumption that everything works as it should, which it will, I would like to congratulate both Countries, Israel and Iran, on having the Stamina, Courage, and Intelligence to end, what should be called, 'THE 12 DAY WAR'," Trump wrote on his Truth Social site. Trump said the ceasefire would be phased in over a 24-hour period, starting at approximately 0400 GMT. (Agencies)
South China Morning Post
4 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Should Taiwan worry about the US being bogged down in the Mideast again?
A US war in the Middle East could leave its armed forces stretched too thin to respond swiftly to a Taiwan Strait crisis, analysts on the island warned after the US launched multiple precision strikes on nuclear-related sites in Iran on the weekend. While US President Donald Trump was quick to describe the operation as a 'very successful attack', defence analysts and lawmakers in Taipei suggested that American attention could be diverted from the Taiwan Strait Their core concern: that the United States, already deeply engaged in supporting Ukraine, would have fewer military resources and less political bandwidth to respond swiftly should Beijing move against Taiwan. 'There's no question Taiwan remains a core US interest,' said Li Da-jung, professor of international relations at Tamkang University in New Taipei City. 'But if America finds itself managing two major conflicts at once, we have to ask: how many resources can it realistically spare for us, should Beijing choose that moment to act?'
South China Morning Post
4 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Top US court takes case of Rastafarian whose hair was cut in prison
The US Supreme Court agreed on Monday to hear the case of a devout Rastafarian whose knee-length dreadlocks were forcibly cut while he was in prison in the southern state of Louisiana. Advertisement Damon Landor is seeking permission to sue individual officials of the Louisiana Department of Corrections for monetary damages for violating his religious rights. Landor, who had been growing his hair for nearly two decades, was serving the final three weeks of a five-month sentence for drug possession in 2020 when his hair was cut. Landor presented prison guards with a copy of a 2017 court ruling stating that Rastafarians should be allowed to keep their dreadlocks in line with their religious beliefs. A prison guard threw the document away and Landor was handcuffed to a chair and had his head shaved, according to court records. Advertisement An appeal court condemned Landor's 'egregious' treatment but ruled that he is not eligible to sue individual prison officials for damages.
