A U.S. Air Force four-star general warned of the possibility of conflict with China as early as 2025 — most likely over Taiwan — and urged its commanders to push their units toward maximum operational readiness for a battle that year.
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| The reason for the conflict would be the seizure of Taiwan by China - Photo: Getty Images / Michael Sugrue |
In an internal memo that first became known on social media on Friday, Jan. 27 and was later confirmed as genuine by the Pentagon, Air Mobility Command leader Gen. Mike Minihan said the main goal should be to deter "and, if required, defeat" China.
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| Tensions over Taiwan between the two countries have sparked diplomatic crises - Photo: Getty Images / Michael Macdonald / EyeEm |
"I hope I'm wrong. My gut tells me we'll be in combat in 2025," Minihan said.
Minihan explained that Taiwan's presidential election next year would give Chinese President Xi Jinping a pretext for military aggression, while the United States would be distracted by its own race for the White House. "The Xin team, motive and opportunity are aligned in 2025," he added.
The memo also calls on all Mobile Command personnel to go to the firing range, "shoot a supplier" at the target and "aim at the head."
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Senior U.S. officials have said in recent months that China appears to be rushing the time frame to take control of Taiwan, an autonomous democracy claimed as its own territory by Beijing.
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| Protesters in Taiwan supported Nancy Pelosi's Aug. 2 visit, which sparked tensions in Asia. - Photo: REUTERS |
China conducted major military exercises in August last year, which were perceived as an invasion rehearsal following House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's defiant solidarity visit to Taipei.
The United States changed recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979, but sells arms to Taiwan to defend itself.
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| The Taiwanese navy has always received military aid from the United States. In this image you can see the delivery of six Apache helicopters - Photo: EFE |
A growing number of U.S. lawmakers have called for increased assistance, including direct shipment of military aid to Taiwan, stressing that Russia's invasion of Ukraine necessitates early preparation.
In recent months, the U.S. government issued a new warning to China to avoid "destabilizing actions" toward Taiwan, reiterating the importance of peace and stability in that region.
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| The United States has also been conducting military exercises with the South Korean military. Tensions over a possible military conflict on the Asian continent are latent. - Photo: AP |
This information came after a meeting between Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and his Chinese counterpart, Wei Fenghe, in which it is the first bilateral meeting since the visit of the speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, to the island last August.
"The secretary reiterated that he remains committed to the 'One China' policy [...], reaffirmed the importance of cross-Strait peace and stability [...], underscored his opposition to unilateral changes to the status quo," Pentagon press secretary Pat Ryder said in a statement.
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| According to the senior military officer, the war against China would take place in 2025 - Photo: Getty Images / DanielBendjy |
The bilateral meeting in Cambodia between the two defense secretaries took place on the sidelines of a meeting of defense ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
Austin and Wei discussed defense relations between Washington and Beijing, as well as regional and global security issues.
In this regard, the US representative emphasized "the need to responsibly manage competition and keep the lines of communication open."
With information from AFP
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