Senior U.S. defense officials have warned of the possibility of the country going to war with China in 2025 in the face of the Asian giant’s aspirations to take control of the island of Taiwan, which considers the territory another province under its sovereignty.
The head of the U.S. Air Force Air Mobility Command, Michael Minihan, reportedly asked his staff to accelerate their preparations for «a possible conflict,» citing Chinese President Xi Jinping’s aspirations and the possibility that Americans «may not pay attention until it’s too late,» as reported by ‘The Washington Post’.
«I hope I am wrong (…) My instinct tells me that we will fight in 2025,» Minihan wrote in a statement sent to personnel under his command, warning that Taiwan’s presidential election is in 2024 and will serve as justification for the Chinese government.
The senior military commander also stressed that the U.S. presidential election will also take place that year, which «will offer Xi a distracted America». «Xi’s team, reason and opportunity are all aligned for 2025,» he said.
Minihan’s memo encourages the thousands of troops under his command to prepare for war in several other respects. All personnel reporting to him should «consider their personal affairs» and be more aggressive with training, he instructs.
«Run deliberately, not recklessly,» he writes. «If you are comfortable with your approach to training, then you are not taking enough risks.»
The memo, dated Feb. 1 — so it would be several days away from release — has been verified as authentic by Air Force spokeswoman Hope Cronin, speaking to NBC.
«It builds on Air Mobility Command’s foundational efforts over the past year to prepare Air Mobility Forces for future conflict, should deterrence fail,» Minihan told NBC News about the release.
This warning comes months after CIA chief William Burns claimed that China could attack Taiwan «in the next few years,» alleging Chinese President Xi Jinping «is preparing for war» in his ambition to unify the island with Chinese territory.
«I’m not sure I can measure it in terms of months or a year (…) The honest answer is, the further we go into this decade, the greater the risks of a military conflict,» the CIA chief said in an interview with PBG network.
Taiwan has had an independent government since 1949, but China considers the territory under its sovereignty. The Chinese government’s fundamental policy towards Taiwan has so far been one of peaceful reunification under the «one country two systems» principle.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
