The US Senate on Tuesday confirmed Elbridge Colby, President Donald Trump’s pick to lead Pentagon policy, who warned that Washington needs to motivate Taiwan to avoid a conflict with China.
The vote was 54-45 to back Colby as undersecretary for policy at the Defense Department.
Colby, a China hawk who also served in the Pentagon in Trump’s first term, said during his confirmation hearing that Taiwan’s fall to China “would be a disaster for American interests” and the island’s government must raise defense spending to deter Beijing. He also said he is “profoundly disturbed” about Taiwan’s perceived reluctance to raise ...