US Pacific intel chief warns of likely Chinese military attack against Taiwan.
Rear Adm. Mike Studeman said the current US standoff with Beijing could be summed up with two words; "Too late"
A senior US defence official issued a stark warning over Chinese intentions in Asia and beyond, asserting that Beijing's growing military power has increased the danger of it launching a war against a neighbouring state, particularly Taiwan.
Rear Adm. Mike Studeman, the top intelligence officer, or J-2, for the East Asian Command, said in a recent conference that US military forces are bolstering arms and equipment for when a conflict could break out in the region over Taiwan or another American ally or partner, reported the Washington Times.
In recent months, China has been involved with a number of spats - some of them resulting in the deaths of soldiers in the case of the Kashmir border dispute between Beijing and India. In addition, its airforce breached Taiwan's air defence zone more times than ever previously recorded in 2020, with a marked uptick in similar sorties.
It has also engaged in disputes with Japan, Australia and several of the countries that ring the South China Sea.
Where once upon a time, the Chinese Communist Party would shy away from multiple entanglements with its neighbours, the new policy seems to be a reflection of Chinese President Xi Jinping's much more aggressive stance.
Studeman said that the battle for Taiwan was already underway and that according to former and current chiefs of the Indo-Pacific Command - who said in testimony to Congress earlier this year - that China appeared to be preparing for a move against Taiwan by 2030 or before.
Adm. Studeman said naval intelligence officials sum up the current situation with China in two words used by Gen. Douglas McArthur in discussing the failure to head off World War II.