Gates: China unlikely to invade Taiwan soon, favoring a gradual transition

Former CIA Director and Defense Secretary Robert Gates told CBS that China’s chances of invading Taiwan in the near term are “pretty low,” arguing Beijing would prefer a Hong Kong–style, gradual transition and wouldn’t want to destroy key chip factories; he notes Xi Jinping has purged military leadership and lacks recent combat experience, but warns China’s manufacturing power and non-military tools make it a formidable adversary. Gates also mentions potential invasion options exist, and urges continuing arms sales to Taiwan despite delivery backlogs.