China Reacts to Senior US General's Warning of War Within Two Years
China has accused a senior American general of being
reckless after he said the two superpowers would be at war within two years.
General Mike Minihan, who oversees the US Air Force’s fleet of transport and
refuelling aircraft, warned that his gut feeling was that the US and China
would fight in 2025.
In a memo obtained by NBC News, Minihan told operational
commanders to prepare for combat. He said that President Xi's third term and
the Taiwan presidential elections in 2024 would offer Xi a reason and a
distracted America, with reason, team, and opportunity all aligned for 2025.
Minihan's remarks were a rare example of a senior US
military official suggesting that US troops would respond if China were to
invade Taiwan, which is a departure from the longstanding position of strategic
ambiguity. President Biden has been more explicit recently, saying that the US
would respond to an invasion if there was an unprecedented attack.
The memo has sparked a reaction from Beijing, with Xin Qiang
from Fudan University warning against a self-fulfilling prophecy and further
damage to China-US relations. Tensions have been rising in the Taiwan Strait,
with increased military and diplomatic pressure from Beijing, and the US has
taken steps to deter an attack, such as opening a new base on the Pacific
Island of Guam. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is set to visit Beijing in
February to discuss ways to avoid the deterioration of bilateral relations.
