US Air Force general predicts war with China as 2024 elections provide 'distraction'
Chinese President Xi Jinping, who previously said "reunification" with Taiwan must be "fulfilled", is yet to rule out the possible use of force.
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A US Air Force general has predicted war with China by 2025 and advised his commander to prepare, an American news report has claimed. The four-star general issued the warning on Wednesday in a memo to his officers.
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According to NBC News, Air Mobility Command chief Mike Minihan said: "I hope I am wrong. My gut tells me [we] will fight in 2025."
Minihan went on to claim he believes war with China is imminent in the next two years due to upcoming polls in America and Taiwan.
He warned elections would "distract" Washington and Taipei while enabling Beijing to make a move on the island.
Minihan also suggested a "fortified, ready, integrated, and agile Joint Force Maneuver Team ready to fight and win inside the first island chain" needs to be established in preparation for the potential skirmish.
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Minihan directed his Air Force commanders to report back by February 28 on steps they will take to prepare for the war against China, Fox News has claimed.
The general reportedly urged his fighting forces to "run deliberately, not recklessly," but said they need to accept some risk in training.
He added: "If you are comfortable in your approach to training, then you are not taking enough risk."
However, an official from the Pentagon suggested Minihan's remarks were "not representative of the department's view on China".
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Department of Defence press secretary Brigadier General Patrick Ryder said in a statement: "National Defense Strategy makes clear that China is the pacing challenge for the Department of Defence and our focus remains on working alongside allies and partners to preserve a peaceful, free and open Indo-Pacific."
However, US President Joe Biden last year revealed Washington would respond to an invasion of Taiwan by deploying American troops.
But Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin told reporters earlier this month that he "seriously doubt[s]" an invasion of Taiwan and subsequent war with China is "imminent."
Despite Mr Austin's comments, a US Navy chief last year warned China could invade Taiwan before 2024.
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Admiral Mike Gilday, chief of naval operations, told the Atlantic Council last October: "When we talk about the 2027 window, in my mind that has to be a 2022 window or potentially a 2023 window."
He added: "I don’t mean at all to be alarmist . . . it’s just that we can’t wish that away."
