CIA chief ‘doubtful’ of China’s ability to invade Taiwan

The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director, William Burns, has expressed doubts about the ability of China to successfully invade the self-ruled nation of Taiwan. Citing US intelligence reports, he further said that President Xi Jinping instructed his country’s military to “be ready by 2027”, but had reservations about whether it was capable of carrying out a such a military operation.

In a televised interview on Sunday, the CIA chief stressed that the US should take “very seriously” Xi’s desire to ultimately control Taiwan even if military conflict is not inevitable.

“We do know, as has been made public, that President Xi has instructed the PLA, the Chinese military leadership, to be ready by 2027 to invade Taiwan, but that doesn’t mean that he’s decided to invade in 2027 or any other year as well,” Burns told CBS’ “Face the Nation.”

Burns said that Beijing’s sentiments to control Taiwan might have been deterred by Russian President Vladimir Putin's setbacks during the invasion of Ukraine.

“I think, as they’ve looked at Putin’s experience in Ukraine, that’s probably reinforced some of those doubts,” he said.

“So, all I would say is that I think the risks of, you know, the potential use of force probably grow the further into this decade you get and beyond it, into the following decade as well.

He, however, cautioned that the West needed to take Xi's ambitions to invade Taiwan "very seriously."

Taiwan broke away from China in 1949 after a bloody civil war that ended with the Communist Party taking control of the mainland.

The self-governing island is yet to be recognised by the United Nations orany major country.

In 1979, then-president Jimmy Carter formally recognised the government in Beijing and severed ties with Taiwan. In response, Congress passed the Taiwan Relations Act, creating a benchmark for a continuing relationship.

(With inputs from agencies)

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