China is building its military and nuclear arsenal on a scale not seen since World War II and all signs suggest it’s sticking to ambitions to be ready to invade Taiwan by 2027, a top US admiral testified.Despite Beijing’s economic challenges, its official defense budget has increased by 16% over recent years to more than $223 billion, Admiral John Aquilino, the leader of theIndo-Pacific Command, told the US House Armed Services Committee in prepared testimony on Wednesday.In the three years since he took command, he said the People’s Liberation Army, or PLA, has added more than 400 fighter aircraft, along with more than 20 major warships. It’s also doubled its inventory of ballistic and cruise missiles since 2020, he said.“All indications point to the PLA meeting PresidentXi Jinping’s directive to be ready to invade Taiwan by 2027,” Aquilino said. “The PLA’s actions indicate their ability to meet Xi’s preferred time-line to unify Taiwan with mainland China by force if directed.”The Chinese military has also been rehearsing various tasks linked to operations against Taiwan such as simulating an encirclement with a maritime and air blockade, Aquilino said.US lawmakers, officials and military leaders have hotly debated Xi’s intentions for Taiwan, especially in light of his 2027 target for his nation’s military to become a “world-class force.” Nearly a year ago, Aquilino testified that “everybody’s guessing” about the Chinese army’s plans.Meanwhile, the US intelligence community assesses that China doesn’t want a military conflict over Taiwan, even as it’s determined to bring the self-governed island under its control.China’s “unprecedented level of defense spending is paying off,” said Representative Mike Rogers, the Alabama Republican who chairs the House Armed Services Committee. “The PLA is fielding modern systems like hypersonic weapons and fifth-generation fighters. They can project power well into the Pacific with a 340 ship navy that includes a new aircraft carrier and nuclear powered ballistic missile submarines.”China’s partnership with Russia is also troubling as China has provided Russian presidentVladimir Putinwith economic and security assistance for the invasion of Ukraine, Rogers said. China’s partnership with Russia is a response to US alliances in the Pacific region and elsewhere.“It should be concerning to the whole globe,” Aquilino said.
China on track to be ready for Taiwan invasion by 2027: US – The Times of India Feedzy
