• 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.

  • ShaggySnacks@lemmy.myserv.one
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    8 months ago

    So does the Chinese think it will be a quick war? Recent history has shown that this kind of years never end. The Taiwanese have been preparing for this for years.

    Russians thought taking Ukraine would last a few weeks and that war has been ongoing for couple of years. The Saudis are sucked into Yemen for several years. The US got into 2 forever wars at the same time.

    • Filthmontane@lemmy.world
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      8 months ago

      Taiwan is a 13,976 sq mile Island. Yemen is a 214,287 sq mile desert. Ukraine is 233,062 sq miles. It’s not a fair comparison. China could take Taiwan very quickly because it’s a tiny little island. They’re more likely to simply embargo the island though and turn it into the next Cuba.

      • AliasAKA@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        It is tiny, but far more parity in terms of arms and the whole being an island thing makes it exponentially harder to invade than say, a country you share a a land border with including roads leading you to where you want to go.

        • Filthmontane@lemmy.world
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          8 months ago

          No it isn’t. They could carpet bomb the whole island in a week. They don’t even need to step foot on Taiwan to conquer it. Their Navy and Air Force is more than enough. But they’d be more likely to just blockade the country and starve everyone.

          That being said, I don’t actually believe China will invade Taiwan. There’s no real incentive. I don’t doubt that they’re expanding their military, but I believe it’s entirely US propaganda intended on selling weapons through fear mongering.

      • 3volver@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        China could take Taiwan very quickly because it’s a tiny little island.

        I assume you have little military knowledge. Personally I don’t make claims like this at all because I know the limits of my own knowledge. If China were to attempt to take Taiwan it would be devastating for both countries. War is absolute shit, many civilians would die, and what would China really gain? They’d gain being on America’s shitlist which historically is terrible. Be careful with statements like these, they’re the same ones I read right before Russia invaded Ukraine.

        • Filthmontane@lemmy.world
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          8 months ago

          I literally just responded to another comment saying that I don’t believe China would ever invade Taiwan and it’s just US propaganda intended on selling weapons through fear mongering.