Top U.S. commander fears Chinese invasion of Taiwan by 2027
11 March, 2021
China could invade Taiwan within the next six years, due to Beijing accelerates its movements to supplant American army power in Asia, a top U.S. commander explained Tuesday.
Democratic and self-ruled Taiwan lives in constant threat of invasion by authoritarian China, whose leaders view the island within their territory and which they have vowed to 1 day take back.
"I worry that they are (China) accelerating their ambitions to supplant the United States and our leadership position in the rules-based international buy... by 2050," said Washington's top military officer in Asia-Pacific, Admiral Philip Davidson.
"Taiwan is clearly among their ambitions before that. And I think the threat is definitely manifest during this decade, in simple fact, within the next six years," he advised a U.S. Senate committee.
Taiwan split from China towards the end of a civil battle in 1949 and exists under the constant risk of invasion by the mainland.
Washington switched diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China in 1979, but remains the island's most important unofficial ally and armed service backer.
Donald Trump embraced warmer ties with Taiwan due to he feuded with China on concerns just like trade and national reliability.
Biden's administration possesses offered Taiwan reason for optimism for continued support aside from the State Department declaring in January that US determination to the island was "rock-solid".
Taiwan's de facto ambassador to the U.S. was formally invited to Biden's inauguration, an unprecedented approach since 1979.
China also offers made expansive territorial promises in the resource-rich South China Ocean and even threatens the American island of Guam, underlined Davidson.
"Guam is a focus on today," he warned, recalling that the Chinese military released a video recording simulating an attack on an island foundation strongly resembling U.S. conveniences in Diego Garcia and Guam.
He called in lawmakers to approve the installation over Guam of an Aegis Ashore anti-missile battery, with the capacity of intercepting the most effective Chinese missiles in trip.
Guam "needs to be defended and it needs to be ready for the threats that may come in the near future," Davidson said.
In addition to other Aegis missile defense devices destined for Australia and Japan, Davidson called on lawmakers to cover offensive armaments "to let China know that the costs of what they look for to do are too much."
Source: japantoday.com