Ely Ratner Quoted in The Economist

Ely Ratner, the Pentagon’s top Asia official in the Biden administration, does not think the war in Iran greatly increases the likelihood of Mr Xi making a move on Taiwan in the near term, but “it’s more possible today than it was two months ago.” If Mr Xi’s decision ultimately depends on whether he can achieve a quick victory at acceptable cost then “a less ready, distracted and spread-thin US military makes that date come sooner than it would have otherwise,” he says. “The risk in the medium term is going up substantially.”

The Economist