U.S. Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.) maintains the short-term goal of the United States regarding Taiwan should be the prevention of war, asserting that keeping peace in the region is a top priority over the next five years.
The Center for Strategic and International Studies noted on its website that Taiwan was once a Japanese colony that was the object of conflict between the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
On the website, it is also noted that, amid the regional tensions, Taiwan has managed to grow and develop a separate cultural and political identity from China, with the U.S. a key element in a reasonably peaceful relationship between the island nation and mainland China.
“The short-term sprint is deterring war over Taiwan in the next five years,” Gallagher said in an interview with Federal Newswire. “I think things are heading in a bad direction. I think we've entered the window of maximum danger. That's the short-term sprint. If you don't win that sprint, it's as if you don't even qualify for the marathon.”
Moreover, Federal Newswire said in its report that other countries around the globe are also witnessing the simmering tensions over Taiwan, with Australia taking a cautious approach on China-Taiwan relations, amid regional unrest.
The report also noted that China’s military modernization, tensions in the South China Sea, little transparency and regular military drills near Taiwan have raised concerns in Australia, which aims to maintain the present situation, while acknowledging war between China and Taiwan would be catastrophic.
Gallagher told Federal Newswire that maintaining the peace is vital, and he worries about the danger of a world primarily influenced by communist China. In the report, he also opposes war in East Asia, but remains committed to taking a strong position with China.
He has represented Wisconsin’s Eighth Congressional District since 2017 and served in the U.S. Marine Corps, with experience in counterterrorism and the private sector.
Gallagher also is chairman of several House committees, including a panel focusing on strategic competition between the U.S. and China.
