U.S. And Allies Prepare For War Over Taiwan
- 25.07.2025, 10:25
The record-breaking exercise has already begun.
The US and allies are holding record exercises in Australia, preparing for a possible war with China, but without clear guarantees to defend Taiwan.
This is reported by Reuters.
The largest joint military exercise in Australia's history, Talisman Sabre, began in July. They involve 35,000 military personnel from 19 countries.
According to US Army Lieutenant General Joel Vowell, the purpose of the exercises is to prepare for possible crises in the Pacific region and to deter potential Chinese actions, particularly with regard to Taiwan.
Reuters notes that 2025 has already become a record in terms of the number and scale of exercises in the region since World War II. They are designed to show Beijing: in the event of an attempted invasion of Taiwan, China risks facing not just the US, but an entire group of armed allies.
But there is complicated diplomacy behind it. The US has no legal obligation to defend Taiwan in the event of an attack, nor does Australia, Japan or the Philippines. Despite pressure from Washington, none of these countries wants to explicitly pledge involvement in a conflict with China. The Japanese prime minister, for example, even ignored a NATO summit to avoid pressure.
Taiwan, aware of the risks, is raising its defense budget to 2.5% of GDP. The US has already warned Taipei that it will not support it unless it seriously prepares to defend itself. Japan plans to raise military spending to 2% of GDP only by 2027. Australia, South Korea and New Zealand have also been slow to commit, although they are participating in strategic meetings with NATO.
Although the US has publicly demonstrated readiness for action in the Pacific, allies are cautious, and Taiwan still remains without real guarantees of defense in the event of Chinese aggression.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hagseth said the threat of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan is "imminent." He said Beijing sees seizing the island as key to dominating the region.
Japan, Australia and the Philippines agree and have long discussed among themselves possible actions in the event of a conflict. But the rise to power of Donald Trump has heightened their uncertainty. The U.S. administration is distancing itself from aid to Ukraine, raising fears that allies in Asia could also be left without support at a critical moment.
Hagseth and his team are trying to reassure partners - they have met with Philippine President Marcos Jr, pledged to stick to defense commitments and even cut duties slightly. Japan, too, has a trade agreement with the US. South Korea and Japan are discussing how their shipyards can help the U.S. navy and troops can operate in the event of a war over Taiwan.
Simultaneously, Taiwan held the largest military exercise in its history, which drew an all-time record U.S. military delegation. The Taiwanese were also invited to joint maneuvers with the U.S., Japan and the Philippines on islands near a potential war zone.
Despite political uncertainty, the Pentagon is focusing on practical cooperation, building up its military presence and strengthening ties with allies - to have more options in the event of an escalation by China.
West boosts military presence in the Pacific amid threats from China
NATO nations are stepping up action in the Asia-Pacific, with Britain and France sending aircraft carriers and troops from Canada, the Netherlands, Germany, Norway and the US taking part in exercises in Australia. This was in response to an aggressive show of force by China near Australia.
Australia is concerned that Trump may pull out of the AUKUS agreement, which guarantees it nuclear submarines. Meanwhile, it provides allies with infrastructure for exercises and weapons storage.
In the US itself, the debate continues: whether Washington is provoking an escalation by increasing its military presence. Some experts suggest withdrawing troops from Taiwan, Korea and Japan, but others see this as a signal of weakness that could provoke Beijing to invade.
China, for its part, is building up confidence - it recently held major naval exercises in the Western Pacific. The Pentagon is still determined to be more active. But so far, the situation is only escalating.