Part 8/10:
A significant portion of the discussion also considered Taiwan's readiness in the face of Chinese ambitions. Having recently visited Taiwan, Admiral Montgomery noted that Taiwan is actively increasing its defense spending, aiming to reach 4-5% of GDP dedicated to military needs in coming years. The island is also seeking to bolster its capabilities through greater training and closer military cooperation with the United States, Japan, and Australia.
Despite these efforts, Montgomery expressed the view that Taiwan would likely be overrun if China were to make a sudden move and that its primary defense relies on deterring Chinese escalation through strategic US support.