Soldiers disembark from AAV7 amphibious assault vehicles during the Han Kuang military exercise
(Picture: Getty Images)China may be ready to invade Taiwan within the next year, a senior US Navy official has said.
Amid China’s long pursuit to reclaim the territory, admiral Michael Gilday, chief of US naval operations, said the military had taken a “fight tonight” stance in order to prepare for any impending invasion.
Speaking at the Atlantic Council in Washington, he said: “So when we talk about the 2027 window in my mind, that has to be a 2022 window or potentially a 2023 window.
“I can’t rule that out. I don’t mean at all to be alarmist by saying that. It’s just that we can’t wish that away."
Last year, a US official told Congress that Beijing intends to reclaim Taiwan by 2027.
On Sunday, however, Xi Jinping, China’s President, delivered a speech at the Communist Party Congress where he vowed to take back Taiwan.
He said: “The wheels of history are rolling on towards reunification and the rejuvenation of the great Chinese nation.
“Complete reunification must be realised and it can without a doubt be achieved.”
In light of Xi’s comments, the US Navy chief said America should "maximise domestic production rates of weapons that really matter in a fight".
Adding: “It’s not just what President Xi says, but it’s how the Chinese behave and what they do.
“And what we’ve seen over the past 20 years is that they have delivered on every promise they’ve made earlier than they said they were going to deliver on it.”
Beijing has long considered Taiwan as part of the mainland under its One China Principle, which states that the two will be reunified at some point.
Following US Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taipei in the summer, China carried extensive military drills in the vicinity of the island.
