Saying China Learned From Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine, CIA Boss: I'm Not Underestimating President Xi Jinping

Kepala CIA William Burns. (Wikimedia Commons/U.S. Department of State)

JAKARTA - The director of the US intelligence agency CIA William Burns has warned the US House Intelligence Committee that Beijing is taking lessons from Russia's special operations in Ukraine and will apply them to plans related to Taiwan.

The CIA chief said he felt there was little room for more "productive" conversations with China about Taiwan, an autonomous island that Beijing claims as part of China.

"I'm just going to say analytically, I'm not going to underestimate President Xi Jinping and the determination of the Chinese leadership with respect to Taiwan," Burns told federal lawmakers at a hearing on threats around the world.

"I think they were shocked and unsettled to some extent by what they've seen in Ukraine over the last 12 days, from the strength of the West's reaction to the way in which Ukraine is vehemently opposed," Burns continued.

He added that he believed there was "an impact on Chinese calculus with respect to Taiwan, and one that we will obviously continue to watch closely."

Meanwhile, US Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said at the same hearing, "It seems that they (China) have the potential to pay the price for not criticizing Russia, and that may have an impact on how this trajectory moves forward."

However, Defense Intelligence Service Director Scott Berrier warned that Taiwan and Ukraine are "two completely different things."

The government in Taipei calls itself the Republic of China, the last outpost of the government that ruled all of China between 1912 and 1949, when the socialist revolution established the People's Republic of China on the mainland.

Both governments claim to be the sole legitimate rulers of a unified China, and Beijing views US relations with Taiwan as interference in China's internal affairs.

Beijing remains committed to reunification with Taiwan, but makes no threat of attack; however, he has warned that US support for the island's pro-independence factions could prompt them to declare formal independence, meaning war.

In addition, Beijing has drawn up a “one country, two systems” plan for Taiwan if it wants to return to Chinese rule, similar to relations with Hong Kong after the island was returned to China after 150 years of British colonial rule.

Since Russia launched a special operation aimed at neutralizing and de-Nazifying Ukraine on February 24, China observers have been concerned about Beijing's potential ties to the operation, including that it could launch its own parallel effort in Taiwan.

"I haven't seen anything so far, but that doesn't mean they haven't talked about it internally, it doesn't mean that they're not going to try something," Air Force General Kenneth Wilsbach, commander of the US Pacific Air Forces, said last week, adding their surveillance assets are overseeing the President. Xi Jinping is like an 'eagle'.