Beijing [China], March 22: In a testimony before the US Senate Armed Services Committee on March 21, Admiral John Aquilino, Commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command , affirmed that the Chinese military (PLA) continues its efforts " active military construction" and modernization.
"All signs indicate that the PLA will respond to Chinese President Xi Jinping's directive to be ready to attack Taiwan by 2027... Furthermore, the PLA's actions demonstrate the possibility of their ability to meet the timeline that Xi wants to unify Taiwan with mainland China by force if directed," Admiral Aquilino warned in a statement released before the hearing, according to the newspaper. The Hill.
Mr. Aquilino also noted to US lawmakers during the hearing that China increased its defense budget by 7.2% this year, the third consecutive year of increase. "My assessment is that they are actually spending more on defense than they say," Mr. Aquilino said, emphasizing that "we have not faced a threat like that since World War II." war 2".
Admiral Aquilino also said that China will seek to unify with Taiwan through other means, but he emphasized that Beijing does not rule out using force if those efforts fail.
In the above statement, Mr. Aquilino assessed that the PLA is pursuing a military force that is network-centric, integrated, common and uses high technology.
"Modernization remains active and China remains committed to providing the necessary capabilities to achieve its goal by 2027," Mr. Aquilino said, according to The Hill.
There is currently no information on the reaction of China or Taiwan to Mr. Aquilino's above warning.
Previously, on December 26, 2023, at a conference commemorating the 130th birthday of the late Chairman of the Communist Party of China Mao Zedong, Mr. Xi Jinping emphasized that "complete reunification of the motherland is a trend." direction that cannot be resisted," according to Xinhua news agency.
Mr. Xi also said China must promote peaceful development in relations across the Taiwan Strait and "resolutely prevent anyone from separating Taiwan from China by any means".
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper