Lyle Goldstein, Asia program director at the Washington-based Defense Priorities think tank, said that Beijing had likely gained confidence from its tariff negotiations with the US and sensed it could exploit divisions within Taiwan’s legislature.
“I do see an increasing level of realism in the exercises and increasing boldness,” Goldstein said. “Buying [more weapons] may sound like a silver bullet, but it’s far from that. This is an arms race Taiwan cannot possibly win.”
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