Keith Kellogg: Biden admin isn't up to this fight
Lt. Gen Keith Kellogg (Ret.), former Pence National Security Adviser, on China's military declaring it's 'ready to fight' after military drills around Taiwan.
Gen. Keith Kellogg (Ret.) joined "America Reports" Tuesday to share his concerns about China building up their military and holding drills around Taiwan. The former national security adviser to VP Mike Pence said he doubts the Biden administration's commitment to defending Taiwan, predicting the situation will "come to a head" within two years.
CHINA VOWS 'STRONG' MEASURES AFTER MCCARTHY MEETS TAIWAN'S TSAI ING WEN
KEITH KELLOGG: My concern is that we're going to be left on a ledge there. Look what Macron just said when he left out of China just a few days ago. He talked about strategic autonomy there, not really getting involved in the China issue. When you're looking at China in the Western Pacific, you're looking at a great power competition in the rawest of forms, and you're looking at what China is able to do, especially militarily. They're building up their ICBM fleet, they're developing a new third carrier. That means they will have more carriers than any other nation of the world besides the United States. …
A Chinese warship sails during a military drill near the Taiwan-controlled Matsu Islands that are close to the Chinese coast, on April 8. (Reuters/Thomas Peter)
I know what they're saying about Taiwan having all it needs, but I am very concerned we're going to be left on a ledge there. And the biggest concern I've got is the will of this administration. It talks a big game. We used to have a mutual defense treaty with Taiwan that was abrogated in the mid-70s by Jimmy Carter. We don't have one today. When you look at how many countries actually support Taiwan, 13 with Honduras just withdrawing the recognition of Taiwan. And of those 13, one is the Vatican and they don't have a whole lot of armies or naval forces.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, is welcomed by Commandant of the Moscow Kremlin Sergei Udovenko as he arrives for the meeting with Putin. (Russian Presidential Press Office via AP)
So we're going to be left out there almost by ourselves and I'm not sure this administration is up to this fight. That's the biggest concern I've got, because this is going to come to a head within two years. I think Xi looks at this as a long-range effort. He's just started his third six-year term and I think what's going to happen, he says there's a window of vulnerability within the next two years. And I think this is going to come to a head either diplomatically or militarily within the next two years, and I think force will be applied and it will be the end of the game for us.
CHINA VOWS 'STRONG' MEASURES AFTER MCCARTHY MEETS TAIWAN'S TSAI ING WEN
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., right, and Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen deliver statements to the press after a Bipartisan Leadership Meeting at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif., Wednesday, April 5, 2023. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu, File)
The U.S. military is set to begin its largest-ever drills with the Philippines on Tuesday, in a series of exercises involving some 17,000 troops.
Known as the Balikatan Exercise, the drills will last for 17 days, ending April 28. In total, 17,600 troops from both the U.S. and the Philippines will participate in the exercises, some of which will involve live ammunition.
The size of the drills reflects just how seriously the U.S. is taking its growing tensions with China. Last year's version of the same drill involved half as many troops.
While the drills were planned long in advance, the timing of the Balikatan Exercise sends a message nevertheless, beginning just one day after China ended its own exercises around Taiwan.
Fox News' Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.
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