Taiwan conflict would hit harder than WWII: US envoy — SkimNews
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- Raymond Greene, director of the American Institute in Taiwan, told a defense forum in Taipei on Wednesday that any Taiwan Strait conflict would have a "bigger impact on the global economy than the Second World War."
- Greene called the upcoming U.S.-China summit "an opportunity to further advance a relationship of strategic stability" and avoid "misunderstandings and miscalculations."
- Xi Jinping is expected to travel to the United States later this month for a meeting with President Donald Trump, according to the report.
- Taiwan's government has budgeted defense spending for next year to exceed T$1 trillion for the first time, with President Lai Ching-te's administration prioritizing military modernization against the China threat.
- Greene said the Trump administration is reinforcing its Indo-Pacific presence and supporting Taiwan's self-defense capabilities to maintain a "favourable regional balance of power."
Why it matters: Greene's public WWII-scale framing elevates the diplomatic stakes around the upcoming Xi-Trump summit, while Taiwan's first-ever T$1 trillion defense budget shows Taipei is materially preparing for the threat Beijing poses. The combination of high-level diplomacy and record defense spending marks both sides hedging simultaneously.
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