Chinese Journalist Hu Xijin: U.S. Military Intervention in Taiwan Would Be Suicide for American Troops

In a video uploaded to the YouTube channel of the CCP-run Global Times outlet on July 20, 2022, former Global Times Editor-in-Chief Hu Xijin spoke about Former U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper’s recent statement that the One-China principle is useless and that the U.S. should abandon its strategic ambiguity vis-à-vis the Taiwan Straits. Hu said that on the same day, the USS Benfold sailed through the Taiwan Straits, and he warned that the Chinese military can easily sink the ship and keep American forces far away from the Chinese coastline if war breaks out.

In addition, Hu said that Esper only dares to talk about abandoning strategic ambiguity because he is no longer in office, and he said that the U.S. knows that participating in a war in the Taiwan Straits would mean suicide for American troops. The video also shows footage of Chinese naval and aerial forces participating in military exercises. For more about Hu Xijin, see MEMRI TV Clips No. 9651, 9457, No. 9397, No. 9254, No. 9247, No. 9226, No. 9223, No. 9148, No. 9142, No. 9058, No. 8546, No. 8522, No. 8510, and No. 8504.

Hu Xijin: "Former US defense secretary Mark Esper said in Taipei on Tuesday that the US should abandon its 'strategically ambiguous' stance on the island of Taiwan because US' 'one-China' policy is now useless. What he means is that the US should make it clear that it would use force to defend the island.

"On the same day, Washington's destroyer USS Benfold sailed through the Taiwan Straits. Esper knows China's Liberation Army cannot only easily sink this vessel but also be able to keep US forces away from the waters within 1,000 kilometers of China's coastline if a war in the Taiwan Straits breaks out. So, Esper only dares to talk about abandoning strategic ambiguity after leaving office, because he doesn't have to be responsible for his words anyway.

"When the Chinese mainland was weak in the past, people still believed that US troops would come to the Straits if a war occurred despite US' strategic ambiguity. Now even if the US confidently will 'use force to defend Taiwan', people will still doubt it. Washington will not send troops if there is a military conflict in the Taiwan straits, because it knows that the US military cannot beat the PLA there, and participating in the war will only mean suicide for the US troops."