In yet another sign of President Biden’s disastrous performance on the world stage, it turns out China’s Xi Jinping warned Joe bluntly last month that Beijing will take Taiwan, though it prefers to do so peacefully . . . if possible.
The White House doesn’t deny the exchange, news of which broke only this week: It represents a clear escalation on China’s part, moving from its longtime claim of ownership to notification of intent to take possession.
Xi sees the truth about our prez: He often talks tough, but shies from any action he fears will “escalate” a confrontation — forever leaving the initiative in the hands of America’s adversaries.
If Xi tries to take Taiwan by force, it’ll leave Washington two options: abandon our Pacific allies and let China have it, with catastrophic consequences — or help the island nation fight off the Chinese, risking a war that could go nuclear.
And the Chinese dictator has every reason to expect America to opt for surrender, especially if Biden’s reelected.
Yes, Biden has vowed repeatedly to defend Taiwan, once even promising to commit US troops — but his staff and State Department have walked that back every time.
And Biden’s shown his yellow stripes time and again, starting with his disastrous 2021 bugout from Afghanistan — ignoring the advice of his generals to impose a plan that let the Taliban rush to power, seizing billions in US-provided arms along the way even as hundreds of Americans and thousands of Afghans who’d worked closely with us got left behind.
Russia’s Vladimir Putin watched and figured he could get away with invading Ukraine.
And he was right: Though Biden threatened to make Putin pay if he attacked, he failed to shore up Ukraine in advance of the invasion — and then let Vlad’s nuclear bluster deter him from providing Kyiv the advanced weapons needed to stand toe-to-toe with Moscow’s forces.
Iran saw its opening, too: It squeezed billions from Biden while backing Hamas as the terror group prepped to slaughter Israelis on Oct. 7.
Its proxies have struck US assets across the Middle East repeatedly since then — with barely a response from America.
Biden sent two carrier groups to the Middle East and warned “anyone thinking of taking advantage” of the Israel-Hamas fighting: “Don’t.”
That’s the same empty “Don’t” he issued to people thinking of rushing to cross the Southern US border illegally: oh-so-dramatic, empty bluster.
And Iran’s unofficial military arm in Lebanon, Hezbollah, has launched thousands of missiles, rockets, and drones in Israel anyway, believing (correctly) Biden would do nothing.
Letting China take Taiwan is unthinkable: It’d hand Beijing control of global advanced semiconductor production, plus military dominance over the entire region, allowing it to threaten allies like Japan and control commercial shipping lanes.
But the best way to deter an invasion is for Xi to fear US military intervention — which requires a belief in American resolve, not empty threats.
If Biden is booted from office next year, his successor can show the strength to make Xi recalculate — if it’s not already too late.