Mallika Dureja
Washington: In a memo, a four-star US Air Force general said that his gut told him that the US would fight China in the next two years. Pentagon officials said that this was not in line with how the US military sees things. General Mike Minihan, who is in charge of the Air Mobility Command, wrote to the people in charge of its about 110,000 members, “I hope I’m wrong.” “I feel like we will fight in 2025,” he said.
The date on the letter was February 1, but it was sent on Friday.
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The general’s opinions don’t speak for the Pentagon, but they show that the highest levels of the US military are worried about a possible move by China to control Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory.
In 2024, both the United States and Taiwan will have elections for president, which Minihan said could give China a chance to act militarily.
A US defence official said, “These comments don’t show how the department feels about China.”
US general predicts country will be at war with China in 2025 https://t.co/wjIroXm4eD pic.twitter.com/LSYyMQ6syd
— The Hill (@thehill) January 28, 2023
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said earlier this month that he didn’t think China’s increased military activity near the Taiwan Strait was a sign that Beijing was about to invade the island.
In the past few years, China has put more diplomatic, military, and economic pressure on the island to accept Beijing’s rule. The government of Taiwan says it wants peace, but if it is attacked, it will fight back.
NBC News was the first to report on Minihan’s memo, which Reuters looked at.
Air Force Brigadier General Patrick Ryder said in a statement in response to a question that military competition with China is a major problem.
“We are still focused on working with allies and partners to keep the Indo-Pacific peaceful, free, and open,” he said.
