US would use sanctions if China invaded Taiwan, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen says, citing Ukraine war
- She said the measures against Russia showed the US can impose significant pain on aggressive countries and was prepared to do the same ‘in other situations’
- Yellen also said Biden wants Russia out of the G20, and the US will boycott some meetings in Indonesia if Moscow’s officials attend
US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the Biden administration would be prepared to use all its sanctions tools against China if Beijing moved aggressively toward Taiwan.
“I believe we’ve shown we can” impose significant pain on aggressive countries, as evidenced by sanctions against Russia, Yellen told lawmakers on Wednesday as she testified before the House Financial Services Committee.
“I think you should not doubt our ability and resolve to do the same in other situations.”
Yellen was responding to questions from Republican congressman Patrick McHenry of North Carolina over whether the Treasury would be as willing to use sanctions against China as it has against Russia following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
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Heightened tensions in Taiwan amid Russian invasion of Ukraine
Russia’s attack on Ukraine has undermined confidence that world powers would be able to prevent a crisis from similarly erupting over Taiwan, a democratically governed island of more than 23 million people and key global source of semiconductors.
