US Representative Mike Gallagher speaks to reporters after a Republican caucus meeting at the Capitol in Washington on Jan. 3. Photo: Reuters“I just think it’s equally as plausible that, as China confronts serious economic and demographic issues, [Chinese President] Xi Jinping [習近平] could get more risk accepting, and could get less predictable and do something very stupid,” Gallagher said. US soldiers and critical infrastructures might all be the target of attacks if such a conflict broke out, he said. They also discussed the need for the US to selectively decouple or de-risk in key areas against Chinese economic aggression, such as theft of intellectual property, dumping cheap products and cyberattacks. It is the policy of Biden’s administration to provide Taiwan with the resources it needs to defend itself, she said, adding that “neither side [of the Taiwan Strait] should change the status quo, especially violently.”
