A four-star US Air Force general asked his commanders to push their units this year to reach full operational battle readiness because he predicted a fight with China as early as 2025, most likely over Taiwan.
General Mike Minihan, commander of the Air Mobility Command, stated that the primary objective should be to dissuade “and, if needed, defeat” China in an internal document that was initially leaked on social media on Friday and later verified as real by the Pentagon.
“I hope I’m mistaken. I have a strong feeling that we’ll fight in 2025 “Minihan said.
Minihan explained his thinking, claiming that the upcoming presidential elections in Taiwan would provide Chinese President Xi Jinping with justification for military attack while the United States would be preoccupied with its own presidential election.
He said, “For 2025, Xi’s team, purpose, and opportunity are all aligned.” Additionally, the message instructs every member of Mobile Command to visit the shooting range, “fire a clip” into a target, and “aim for the head.”
In response to an email from AFP asking about the letter, a Pentagon spokeswoman said, “Yes, it’s factual that he sent that out.”
Senior US officials have recently suggested that China appeared to be moving more quickly toward annexing Taiwan, a self-governing democracy that Beijing claims as its own.
Major military drills were conducted by China in August of last year, which were perceived as a practise invasion after then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who was second in line for the White House at the time, made a defiant solidarity visit to Taipei.
In 1979, the United States moved its recognition from Taipei to Beijing, yet it continues to supply Taiwan weaponry for its defence.
In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, an increasing number of US legislators have urged for stepping up support, even providing Taiwan direct military help.
Adm. Mike Gilday, the head of the Navy, stated in October that his branch must get ready for “a 2022 window or possibly a 2023 window. I can’t say for sure. We can’t wish that away, and I don’t intend to seem alarmist by saying that.
The Pentagon has worked to strengthen military ties with willing allies around the Pacific as a result of its worries about China. The governments of the United States and Japan announced this month that a Marine Corps unit on the island of Okinawa will be transformed into a force that can move between nearby islands and fire long-range missiles at potential enemies.
At a press conference with Japanese officials on January 11, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stated that the United States had seen some “quite aggressive behaviour” by Chinese personnel in an effort to test international rules. However, he also played down worries that China may attack Taiwan any time soon.
Austin reported that there had been an uptick in airborne activity.“Around Taiwan, there has been a rise in surface vessel activity. Again, we think that they work to create a new normal, but I highly doubt it indicates that an invasion is about to happen.
Minihan, a C-130 pilot who joined the Air Force, had previously drawn attention for his abrasive, colourful vocabulary.
At a military conference outside of Washington in September, he claimed that the Air Force was responsible for the biggest “pile of our nation’s enemy dead” among the American military.
According to him, “Lethality matters most,” according to the military magazine Task & Purpose. “Every aspect of your life is better when you can kill your opponent. Your meal is better tasting. Your union is more robust.
