Retired U.S. Army Lieutenant General and late national security adviser H.R. McMaster have warned that China is preparing its military for war over Taiwan. The relationship between China and Taiwan has been strained for some time due to Taiwan's push for independence.
Still, they have become tenser recently due to the Chinese leadership's increasingly aggressive stance. China views the island of Taiwan as an essential part of its reunification policy and has claimed it as its own, despite Taiwan considering itself an independent, semi-autonomous state. McMaster believes that Chinese President Xi Jinping, who was given a historic third term last year, is planning to retake Taiwan and that the country is preparing for military action.
Expert Warns of Increased Tensions as China Boosts Military Capabilities
During an interview on Sunday on CBS News' Face the Nation, McMaster stated that Chinese President Xi Jinping has made it clear that he plans to retake Taiwan as part of his efforts to reunify China.
McMaster emphasized the importance of deterrence in preventing a full-scale military conflict over Taiwan and stated that the U.S., which is already spending more than $1.6 trillion on defense as cited in DOD, should invest even more in national security to be prepared for potential conflict with China, which has one of the strongest militaries in the world and continues to expand its influence in the Pacific region.
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Retired General: China's Military Actions Could Lead to War
According to McMaster in the article of WorldTimeTodays, China has been behaving aggressively in various ways, including economically and militarily. He believes that China's leader, Xi Jinping, is preparing the Chinese people for war. McMaster believes that the U.S. should take the threat of war more seriously and extend its power to deter China. He also suggests that U.S. allies should invest more in their defense. McMaster warns that the U.S. should avoid making the same mistakes it made with Russia, which invaded Ukraine.
This warning follows reports that Chinese President Xi Jinping told the military to prepare for potential war by focusing on fighting and improving their ability to win. China-Taiwan relations have been strained in recent months, particularly after a visit by the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, to Taiwan in August. China responded with threats and military drills around the island, leading to concerns about the possibility of escalation.
Global Military Dominance as China's Goal
China's leaders have stated that they aim to have a "world-class" military by 2049 and that the country's national defense concept requires it to "safeguard China's overseas interests."
According to Newsweek, some experts believe that China will use various means, including influence operations, to gain support from elites in other nations while hiding the extent of its political and military interests. The government of Vanuatu was the target of a cyberattack in November and did not respond to requests for comment.
China's embassy in Vanuatu and the Foreign Ministry in Beijing also did not respond to requests for comment. The Solomon Islands has said there would never be a Chinese military base, but China has confirmed that a security agreement has been signed with the country.
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