U.S. Navy Adm. Philip Davidson, commander of the Indo-Pacific region, predicted March 9 in the U.S. Senate that China could invade Taiwan within six years “to fulfill its stated ambition to replace the United States as the dominant military power in the Pacific. He also mentioned a previous mock attack by Chinese forces on Guam.
I am concerned that they are accelerating their plans to replace the United States by 2050,” Adm. Davidson told a U.S. Senate committee Tuesday (….) , “I’m afraid they want to get there sooner rather than later.”
He added that it’s clear that Taiwan is part of their ambition. In fact, I think the threat in will come within the next six years, that is, before 2027.
This AFP report from Washington on March 9 said the United States broke off diplomatic relations with Taipei in 1979, recognizing Beijing as the sole official representative of China. But after the break, the United States continued to be Taiwan’s strongest ally and number one arms supplier.
China, however, considers the island of Taiwan a province of China and has threatened that Beijing will retake the island by force if Taiwan formally declares independence or if there is foreign intervention.
And after taking back control of Hong Kong by force, Beijing has repeatedly issued warnings to Taiwan, made displays of force and attempted to ban shipping in the Taiwan Strait.
U.S. Army Indo-Pacific Commander Admiral Davidson also told a Senate committee that China has territorial ambitions in the South China Sea (especially vis-à-vis Vietnam and the Philippines), in the East China Sea (on The Japanese-controlled Senkaku Islands) and in the Himalayas facing India, threatening even the U.S. island of Guam in the Pacific.
Guam is now targeted for strikes,” he warned. “A propaganda video released by the Chinese military last year showed Chinese pilots attacking a military base on the island, 2,500 kilometers east of the Philippines.
He called on the Senate to approve the installation of the latest generation of the Aegis Ashore land-based anti-missile defense system on Guam to intercept China’s most powerful missiles.
He added that “Guam must be defended and prepared for future threats because, in my view, Guam is no longer just a place where we think we can fight a war,”. We’re going to fight for it.”
In addition to providing three more Aegis missile defense systems to Australia and Japan, Adm. Davidson called on the Senate to include offensive weapons in the 2022 military budget. He said it is important to “let China know that what they are trying to do is too costly and make them doubt their chances of success.”
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