The head of the US Navy has said that China could attempt to reunify with Taiwan as soon as this year, in the latest warning from Washington over Beijing's plans for the self-ruled island.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has set a timeline for Beijing to take Taiwan by 2027 — by force, if necessary — but Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Michael Gilday suggested the US military needs to be ready for the possibility of it happening much sooner.
“It's not just what President Xi says, it's how the Chinese behave and what they do,” Admiral Gilday told the Atlantic Council on Wednesday.
“What we've seen over the past 20 years is that they have delivered on every promise they've made earlier than they said they were going to deliver on it … So when we talk about the 2027 window, in my mind, that has to be a 2022 window or potentially a 2023 window.”
The admiral's comments come after US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken on Monday said that Beijing wants to take control of Taiwan “on a much faster timeline” than previously considered and added that “a very different China” had emerged under Mr Xi.
Mr Blinken accused the Chinese president of changing the status quo towards Taiwan and that a decades-long policy peacefully managed by both Democratic and Republican administrations was “up until recently, incredibly successful”.
He also said that any war over Taiwan would have an “enormous” impact on global trade.
President Joe Biden last month said the US would defend Taiwan if it were attacked, drawing sharp condemnation from China.
Mr Xi is on the cusp of securing a third five-year term at the helm of the world's most populous nation, delivering a major Communist Party Congress speech on Sunday in which he restated his vow to one day “reunify”, or forcefully take, Taiwan.
China's Communist Party has never controlled Taiwan but claims the territory as its own.
While Taiwan is not a treaty ally of the US, Congress is bound by law to sell Taipei defensive weapons and there is bipartisan support for protecting the island.
Jeff Buckley: From Hallelujah To The Last Goodbye
By Dave Lory with Jim Irvin
Essentials
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct from the UAE to Los Angeles, from Dh4,975 return, including taxes. The flight time is 16 hours. Alaska Airlines, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Aeromexico and Southwest all fly direct from Los Angeles to San Jose del Cabo from Dh1,243 return, including taxes. The flight time is two-and-a-half hours.
The trip
Lindblad Expeditions National Geographic’s eight-day Whales Wilderness itinerary costs from US$6,190 (Dh22,736) per person, twin share, including meals, accommodation and excursions, with departures in March and April 2018.
Kibsons%20Cares
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
