A four-star general in the United States Air Force has expressed concern that the United States and China could be at war as soon as 2025.
On Friday, a letter purportedly from General Mike Minihan urging his troops to prepare for war with China made its way into social media and was later validated by the Pentagon.
“I hope I am wrong. My gut tells me we will fight in 2025,” Minihan said. He claims that both the United States and Taiwan will hold presidential elections in 2024, potentially creating an opportunity for China to take military action, Minihan wrote.
In recent years, China has increased its diplomatic, military, and economic pressure on the self-governing island to submit to Beijing’s control. The administration of Taiwan has stated that it seeks peace but will defend the country if necessary.
The United States and Taiwan are the two strategic partners, and the US has sold weapons to Taiwan since 1979. However, since then, the People’s Republic of China has remained hostile to any formal declaration of independence and maintains its claim over Taiwan.
In addition, since 2018, the US and China have engaged in a trade war. The US introduced a set of tariffs and other trade barriers on China, intending to force it to change what the US says are longstanding unfair trade practices.
On the other hand, the US and China have huge differences over the South China Sea; China claims sovereignty over the entire South China Sea, while the United States sees it as international waters and asserts the right for its warships and aircraft to conduct operations in the sea.
Even the dispute in Indo-Pacific led to the formation of QUAD, which includes the US, Australia, India and Japan, to ensure free movement and prevent Chinese assertion in the region.
The present rivalry between the US and China and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have made American politicians highlight the importance of preemptive justification for increasing aid and direct military help to Taiwan.
