China preparing for war, warns retired general

China is preparing its military for a war over Taiwan, retired US Army Lt. Gen. and former national security adviser H.R. McMaster has warned.

Relations between China and Taiwan have long been strained over the island’s quest for independence, but have become even more strained amid increasingly aggressive Chinese leadership. Although Taiwan claims independence from China and is recognized as a semi-autonomous state, China has claimed it and views control of the island as essential to its unification policy.

Amid rising tensions, McMaster said he believes China could be preparing for military action to take control of the island nation during an appearance on CBS News. Face the nation on Sunday – adding that Chinese President Xi Jinping, who secured a historic third term last year, has made it clear that he plans to retake Taiwan.

“Xi Jinping made it clear in his statements that he believes he will make China whole again by subsuming Taiwan,” McMaster said. “And the preparations are underway.”

McMaster said the best way to prevent a full-scale military war over Taiwan is “deterrence,” adding that the United States, which is already spending more than $1.6 trillion on defense, is investing even more in national security should invest because it would be “much more expensive”. to respond to a war with China, which has one of the strongest militaries in the world and continues to seek to expand its influence in the Pacific region.

“China has become increasingly aggressive, not only from an economic, financial, and wolf warrior diplomacy perspective, but also physically with its military,” McMaster said. “And what’s really disturbing, in my opinion, is that Xi Jinping is preparing the Chinese people for war.”

He pointed to some of Xi’s speeches, which have taken on a harsh tone in recent months, as evidence that the US should take the threat of war more seriously and “build our power.” It would also force allies to invest more in their national defenses, which would serve as an additional deterrent, he added.

He said the US and its allies must be “careful not to be a mirror image” or “fall into the same traps” as they did with Russia, which launched an invasion of Ukraine last February.

McMaster’s warning follows other suggestions that China may be considering a war over Taiwan. In November, The guard reported that Xi told his military to “concentrate all their energies on combat” in preparation for a possible war.

“Concentrate everything [your] Energy for fighting, work hard on fighting and improve [your] ability to win,” he reportedly said.

China-Taiwan relations flared last August after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi paid a historic visit to Taiwan. At the time, Beijing issued several threats against their visit and launched military drills around the island, prompting fears that the conflict could escalate.

news week turned to the State Department for comment.