Adm. John Aquilino, the current commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, expressed worry during his recent confirmation hearing that communist China might try to invade and annex Taiwan a whole lot sooner than many anticipate.
Hoping to become the next head of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Aquilino told Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton that the possibility of China invading Taiwan is a "critical concern" as it has the potential to breathe fresh life into the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
"Why would Beijing so desire to have Taiwan annexed to the mainland, and how would it complicate your military planning if Beijing did invade and annex Taiwan?" Cotton asked Aquilino.
"They view it as their number one priority," Aquilino responded, referring to China's goal of invading and annexing Taiwan in the very near future. "The rejuvenation of the Chinese Communist Party is at stake."
Adm. Philip Davidson, the current head of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, recently warned that China could attempt to invade Taiwan within the next six years. In Aquilino's view, the true timeline could be anywhere from "today to 2045."
If confirmed, Aquilino wants to establish a $5 billion fund known as the Pacific Deterrence Initiative (PDI) "in the near term and with urgency." Back in early March, the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command submitted a budget for PDI to Congress that included $27 billion in proposed spending through 2027.
All signs point to future problems with China that could result in war
For decades, China and Taiwan have sparred over who is the rightful owner of the land on which Taiwan now sits. Beijing has continually threatened Taiwan with war for refusing to allow itself to be absorbed back into the Chinese mainland.
Back in early March, Chinese President Xi Jinping is said to have told his country's military to "be prepared" for conflict amid an "unstable" security situation. This instability has accelerated greatly ever since the installment of Joe Biden into the White House.
When asked during a press briefing about how confident the Department of Defense (DoD) is when it comes to preventing a Chinese invasion of Taiwan, Pentagon press secretary John Kirby declined to "speculate about potential future operations."
"Nobody wants this to result in conflict," he added, suggesting that the Pentagon could be preparing to interfere if necessary.
"[Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin] is concerned at the significant changes that have been taking place in [China's] strategic forces," Kirby further revealed to reporters.
"And he's also concerned about the lack of transparency by Beijing about what they're doing. We would certainly welcome greater transparency about both their intentions and their modernization program."
The World Health Organization (WHO) is apparently on China's side, as the United Nations body refused to acknowledge the existence of Taiwan in its early coverage of the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19).
When reporting on "case" numbers in Asia, the WHO lumped China and Taiwan together for reporting purposes. This implies that the UN sees no difference between China and Taiwan and believes the two countries to be one and the same.
"When China invades Taiwan, Biden will say, 'It's a cultural thing,'" wrote one commenter at The Daily Caller. "When China controls the South Seas, Biden will say, 'It's theirs.'"
"When China dominates the world, Biden will say, 'They ate our lunch.' And all those CCP politicians from both parties will cash in and celebrate," this same commenter added.
Another concurred, adding that this is what happens "when you put a demented, communist pedophile in charge of things."
Should war break out between China and Taiwan, you will find coverage of the details at NationalSecurity.news.
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