Exclusive: The chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee said it was only a matter of time before China attempted to invade Taiwan, and the Pentagon shifted its focus from enacting a “woke” policy to ensuring the military was ready to deal with this. threats to U.S. national security and other threats.
“Whether 2025 is the right year is up for debate, but it’s a question of when,” House Speaker Mike Waltz (R, Florida) told Fox News Digital. “And we need to step up our military readiness further to convince China not to make such a move.”
Waltz said he largely agrees with a memo from Four-Star Air Force General Mike Minihan, head of Air Mobility Command, who predicted that the United States would be at war with China by 2025.
Minihan’s memo to all air wing commanders and other Air Force operations commanders said they believed war with China was imminent over the next two years, adding that they had “strengthened, prepared and integrated A dedicated, agile joint force operations team must be ready to fight and ready for battle by establishing a “win” within the first island chain.
Air Force general predicts war with China in 2025: ‘I hope I’m wrong’
Republican Rep. Mike Waltz has warned that China is close to military action against Taiwan.
(Stephanie Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Images/File)
Minihan instructed air force commanders to report by February 28 on steps they would take in preparation for war with China.
Waltz said China’s military buildup could peak between 2025 and 2028, and welcomed Minihan’s sober assessment of China’s rising power.
“It’s refreshing to hear an officer take command, tell the army to train more, and say that wars must be deterred, but if they can’t, they must be won.” told digital. “He focuses on standards and winning, not on diversity, equity, inclusion and climate.”
“I think the memo hits the mark,” Waltz added. “This is the type of mentality that we want our soldiers to see, that we want the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to see.”
Waltz, who is also a member of the House Foreign Relations and Intelligence Committees, said the 2024 US presidential election and the Taiwanese election could influence the timing of China’s invasion of Taiwan. In his memo, Minihan suggested the election would “distract” countries and leave a window for China to take action.
“Taiwan won’t go so far as to say ‘independence’ because they know it will trigger the Chinese Communist Party,” Waltz said. “However, they are taking an increasingly proactive stance on the defense of their country and a closer relationship with the United States.”
Chinese J-31 stealth fighter
(Johannes Eiselle / AFP via Getty Images / File)
Defense Secretary Austin ‘seriously doubts’ China’s invasion of Taiwan is ‘imminent’
Waltz, meanwhile, said the Pentagon’s focus on climate, COVID vaccine mandates and social policies is discouraging young people from joining the military, which could undermine U.S. preparedness. rice field.
Waltz said military officials were “upset” that some senior leaders considered “climate to be the biggest existential threat”, highlighting diversity, equity and inclusivity. He said he was concerned about what was going on.
“I think that affected our preparation. Last year was the worst recruiting year since Vietnam,” Waltz said. He said the vaccine mandate “is discouraging young men and women from signing up. People are leaving the service because of it.”
Waltz noted that some officials in the Biden administration have said climate change is an “existential threat” to the United States. and combat vehicles should be electrified.
President Joe Biden (right) and Chinese President Xi Jinping shake hands before meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia, November 14, 2022.
(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
“Their obsession is to have the least carbon-emitting military,” Waltz said. “And I want the deadliest army.”
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“The administration’s China policy is ubiquitous and dangerous,” Waltz added.
This echoes the assessment of House Select Committee on China Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wisconsin), who told Fox News Digital that the Biden administration is “divisive” on the Chinese threat. there is
Officials such as FBI Director Christopher Wray, CIA Director William Burns, and Director of National Intelligence Avril Haynes have repeatedly warned that China is the greatest threat to US national security. climate change.
But a senior government official told Fox News that the Biden campaign is focusing on climate change as “a way to compete with China.”
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin speaking at a briefing at the Pentagon on Oct. 27, 2022.
(AP Photo/Susan Walsh/Files)
Officials point to a bipartisan infrastructure bill, which they say will set the United States “spending more than China” for the first time. said it was focusing on “massive investments” to create jobs and strengthen supply chains for U.S.-based manufacturing.
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Fox News reported last summer that China could invade Taiwan within 18 months. Specifically, through amphibious strikes and military invasions, according to current and former officials familiar with US and allied intelligence services.
When asked to comment on Minihan’s memo, a defense official told Fox News Digital that those comments “do not represent the Defense Department’s views on China.”
Still, brig. Adm. Patrick Ryder told Fox News Digital that the Biden administration’s defense strategy “makes it clear that China is a pace challenge for the Pentagon, and our focus is on working with allies and partners to ensure peace and freedom.” We remain committed to keeping India open and open.” Pacific. “
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin recently said there was “increased surface vessel activity around Taiwan”, but “whether that means an invasion is imminent … I seriously doubt it. there is,” he said.
