TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged Taiwan to double its efforts to combat Chinese propaganda in an interview with T.V. show host Cheng Hung-yi (鄭弘儀) on Thursday (Sept. 29).
Taiwan must “fight the information space (and) speak the truth about what’s really happening,” Pompeo said. He also suggested the nation strengthen its intelligence gathering and cyber protection.
Taiwan has to ensure its systems are ready to defend against a Chinese cyberattack, he said. The former secretary of state also urged the U.S. and its Indo-Pacific allies to improve intelligence sharing in order to observe China’s actions “in every dimension.”
This means that allies must watch out for not only traditional systems like land and naval assets but also space and cyber-related matters, Pompeo said. “We have to make sure we’re sharing that intelligence, broadly across the region, to actually deliver the security that we all need.”
When asked about former Commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command Admiral Philip Davidson’s prediction that China would attack Taiwan in 2027, Pompeo said he agreed with the commander’s comment. “I think he understands the risks are real,” he said, adding, “There are things we can do to change that timetable.”
Pompeo said the U.S. should guarantee the Taiwanese “are fully supported in the efforts that they make to secure their own freedom.” This means that when Taiwan requests a particular weapon, the U.S. should deliver it.
Furthermore, if Taiwan needs more intelligence, the U.S. should provide it, he added.
Pompeo also pointed to establishing an alliance system that includes traditional U.S. allies like Japan, South Korea, and Australia, as well as Southeast Asian nations. “All the Southeast Asian countries have a responsibility to deliver peace in the region. It’s in their best interests.”
The former secretary of state highlighted the importance of deepening business ties with Taiwan. “The less dependency there is on China, the more likely it is that we can withstand what they will do first, which is not invade but coerce.”
Pompeo said it is the business community that helps prevent the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from coercing Taiwan.
When asked about his thoughts on how a Chinese invasion of Taiwan would affect the world, he said, “If Xi were to take such an action, he would become a pariah to even those nations that are ‘fence sitting’ today.”
“I’m convinced that the whole world would see that for precisely what it is and respond appropriately,” he said. Pompeo said he believed the CPP would fail, as “freedom-loving people” would not be willing to be ruled by the authoritarian regime.
With regard to U.S. arms sales, he said this would continue under the Biden administration as it is a bipartisan issue. “I pray that it is so, it ought to be so, it’s important that it be so.”
Pompeo arrived in Taiwan on Sept. 26 to deliver an opening speech at the annual meeting of the World Taiwanese Chambers of Commerce in Kaohsiung on Sept. 28. He also visited Tainan where he spoke at a press conference.