Doom: The Politics of Catastrophe by Niall Ferguson review
(Evening Standard) – From plagues and volcanic eruptions to the current Covid pandemic, mankind has always been faced with catastrophes.
Thought Leader: Niall Ferguson
Anders Fogh Rasmussen: EU must warn China against attacking Taiwan
Former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said the European Union should make clear to China the consequences of using force against Taiwan.
“We should tell that in advance so China does not miscalculate but knows exactly what [would] happen if [it tried] to change the status quo,” Rasmussen told CNA on Tuesday. He also stressed that Taiwan must demonstrate its resolve to maintain the status quo and bolster its defense.
Rasmussen, who also served as Denmark’s prime minister, voiced support for Taiwan increasing its defense budget to 3% of GDP. He also urged NATO nations to raise their defense budgets to 4% of GDP due to concerns about Russia. Only Poland has achieved this goal.
Rasmussen stated that defense is the number one investment countries should take today. He said, “Obviously we would rather spend money on schools, on hospitals, on childcare, all those things. But all those welfare benefits are worth zero if you are not able to protect and defend your society.”
In addition, Rasmussen said the EU can help deter China from using force against Taiwan through its trade relationship. He said the Chinese economy would be severely impacted if the EU terminated trade ties with China.
Rasmussen was also asked about undersea cable damage around Taiwan by Chinese-owned vessels. Given the high number of cases, Rasmussen replied that he did not believe this was an “accident” but rather sabotage.
He related these tactics to hybrid warfare, where one side destabilizes the opponent without declaring war, circumventing NATO Article 5, which stipulates that if any member is attacked, all members must respond. He mentioned reports of Chinese-flagged ships also cutting cables under the Baltic Sea. He said Europe and Taiwan can cooperate in intelligence sharing amid these developing situations.
Rasmussen said the international community can no longer rely on the US as a leader of freedom and democracy. He urged democratic countries to work more closely to show US President Donald Trump that cooperation produces results.
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