The United States' top military general, Gen. Mark Milley, said that the American forces were prepared to support Taiwan in the event that China decides to enforce military aggression on the sovereign island nation.
Milley, speaking at the Aspen Security Forum, said that despite the U.S. military being ready to defend Taiwan, it was highly unlikely that Beijing would attempt to seize the island using military forces in the next 24 months. However, he argued that if the incident did happen, the U.S. forces "absolutely have the capability" to support Taipei, Yahoo News reported.
Tension Between US and China
The general added that China was "clearly and unambiguously building the capability to provide those options to the national leadership if they so choose at some point in the future." During an interview, Milley said it was possible in the near future although highly unlikely.
In the last few months, China has continued to conduct provocations against Taiwan that it believes should be a part of the mainland. Beijing has sent military planes into the latter's air identification zone (ADIZ) roughly 150 times over about four days in early October, The Hill reported.
Milley has become one of the frontrunners in the tension between the United States and China in relation to Taiwan and its sovereignty. The general said that the U.S. government had to be very careful in regards to how it should deal with China in the future.
Due to agreements and communique, only a dozen or so minor countries have formally recognized Taiwan. The situation comes after Beijing's long-running and systematic campaign to exert diplomatic and economic pressure to isolate the island and its democratic government.
Supporting Taiwan's Defenses
Previously, American policymakers bolstered Taiwan's defenses and did not declare what action they would take in the case of China opting to use military force to retake the territory. The U.S. government employed a "strategic ambiguity" that was used to deter Beijing from attacking.
But in recent months, that stance has slowly shifted due to the growing brazenness in acknowledging the forms of military support that the American government has provided Taiwan. In a recent situation, U.S. Marine Corps and special operations trainers were in the island's territory and reported to have conducted training exercises. Additional reports have revealed that Taiwanese troops have also received instruction from U.S. military installations on Guam.
It was previously estimated that China may have sufficient resources and military capabilities to attempt to retake the island nation within six years. However, Taiwanese officials have revised the timeline after Beijing's recent acts of aggression. Many have also questioned whether or not Beijing was prepared to face economic isolation if it chooses to go to war with Taiwan.
"For Taiwan and the U.S., the most important thing is to remain sober and rational. Don't lead themselves into a political misunderstanding or ever a dead end because of their bravado and short-term operations," said an editor of the English-language Global Times, which has been considered a mouthpiece of the Chinese Communist Party, US News reported.
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