China-Taiwan conflict: Former diplomat warns Ukraine crisis may empower Beijing to take action

With the current escalation of tensions in Ukraine by Russia, some have raised concerns that the same may occur in other places such as Taiwan. A former diplomat has warned that Beijing may be feeling empowered to take action on Taiwan as Russia had done on Ukraine.

Former UK ambassador to Russia Sir Tony Brenton said Chinese President Xi Jinping may be observing the crisis in Ukraine and feel empowered to take the same action on the island nation. China considers Taiwan as part of the mainland, a claim that the island nation has rejected. Beijing has since engaged in a pressure campaign to get Taiwan and its democratic government to submit through numerous incursions and military drills nearby.

Brenton warned that Xi may have been observing the events in Ukraine unfold “with pleasure.”

“It has distracted the United States from its focus on China and if we have a war in Europe, then the United States is going to stay distracted for a while to come,” the former diplomat told CNBC. “It has also strengthened Xi’s relationship with Russia and China.”

“The China-Russia relationship was, in any case, doing very well as a natural economic complementarity, but it will push Russia further into Chinese arms,” Brenton continued. “And if the West does back down seriously on Ukraine which I don’t think the West is going to do, and I’m not suggesting that it should, then they will draw conclusions about how the West would behave if it really came to the crunch point on Taiwan.”

Former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who led the State Department in the Trump administration, will be visiting Taiwan next week. Pompeo will be meeting with President Tsai Ing-wen during his visit as well as Foreign Minister Joseph Wu. Pompeo will also be speaking at a think-tank.

“Former Secretary of State Pompeo is a long-term and staunch friend of Taiwan and made outstanding contributions to promoting US-Taiwan relations during his time in the office,” said the foreign ministry in a statement regarding Pompeo’s upcoming visit.

Pompeo has drawn the ire of China during his time as the secretary of state by criticizing its ruling political party and has also worked to increase US engagement with the island nation.