China is unlikely to use military force to seize Taiwan in the near future, but the country’s communist regime does pose a serious threat not only to the self-ruled island, but also to the United States, Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said on Nov. 3.
“Based on my analysis of China, I don’t think that it is likely in the near future—being defined as six, 12, maybe 24 months, that kind of window,” he said in response to a question about it.
Milley made the remarks while speaking at the Aspen Security Forum, an annual three-day security and foreign policy conference presented by the Washington-based Aspen Strategy Group.
“Having said that, though, the Chinese are clearly and unambiguously building the capability to provide those options to the national leadership, if they so choose, at some point in the future. But near future, probably not. But anything can happen.”
The communist regime in China sees Taiwan as part of its territory, to be taken by force if necessary. Chinese leader Xi Jinping has previously said he wants to apply the regime’s governance model for Hong Kong, known as “one country, two systems,” in Taiwan, as a way to bring the island under Beijing’s control.
read more:
Replies