TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Russia may provide military logistics support to China if Beijing uses force against Taiwan, National Security Bureau Director-General Tsai Ming-yen (蔡明彥) warned on Wednesday (Dec. 17). Tsai told legislators that Russia could also conduct provocative actions in the Indo-Pacific region, further complicating Taiwan's security landscape. The warning came during a legislative hearing on potential military conflict hotspots around the Taiwan Strait.
The Legislative Yuan's Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee (外交及國防委員會) held a hearing on potential military conflict hotspots around the Taiwan Strait. Defense Minister Wellington Koo (顧立雄) and Director-General Tsai testified before the committee. Democratic Progressive Party (民進黨) legislators Chen Chun-yu (陳俊宇) and Wang Ting-yu (王定宇) raised concerns about Russia's possible role in a Chinese military attack on Taiwan.
Tsai highlighted the likelihood of Russia providing military equipment and conducting military patrols around the Taiwan Strait, the Western Pacific, and the Miyako Islands, a Japanese island chain near Taiwan. Russia's involvement could significantly alter strategic dynamics in these critical regions, he said. Such patrols would expand the geographic scope of potential military coordination between Moscow and Beijing.
Defense Minister Koo noted that China expressed dissatisfaction after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi made remarks about a "Taiwan emergency." The joint air patrols by China and Russia send a clear message regarding their stance and intentions in the region, Koo said. The increased military coordination between Beijing and Moscow raises concerns about potential coordinated responses to regional developments. ◼
