"We must go faster," US Adm. John Aquilino urged lawmakers repeatedly during a two-hour hearing on security in the Indo-Pacific.
  • US Adm. John Aquilino said China’s military is building up at a rate not seen since World War II.
  • That puts it on the path to meeting its goal of being ready to invade Taiwan by 2027, he said.
  • Aquilino, the outgoing head of the US Indo-Pacific Command, urged Washington to accelerate military development.

China’s rapid military build-up is more expansive than anything seen since World War II, which means it’s on track with its 2027 goal to be ready for a Taiwan invasion, said US Navy Adm. John Aquilino.

“All indications point to the PLA meeting President Xi Jinping’s directive to be ready to invade Taiwan by 2027,” Aquilino wrote in a testimony to the US Armed Services House Committee.

“Furthermore, the PLA’s actions indicate their ability to meet Xi’s preferred timeline to unify Taiwan with mainland China by force if directed,” added the admiral, the outgoing head of the US Indo-Pacific Command.

  • BlackmistEnglish
    142·
    9 months ago

    Well if nobody in the West is prepared to admit that Taiwan isn’t a bit of China, what are they going to do about it? Probably nothing at this point. It’s far enough away that it’s not really a territorial threat to us, unlike Ukraine.

    The real question should be, what are we doing about all that Taiwanese manufacturing we rely on? Because if the answer isn’t “move it all back to Western countries where it can fuel Western economies no matter the cost” then you’re making a hell of a gamble on China staying friendly with us in the future.