Higseth says the Chinese military action against Taiwan “can be imminent”

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US Defense Secretary Beit Higseth warned that a Chinese military attack on Taiwan “could be imminent” and called on America’s allies in the Indian Pacific Ocean to enhance defense spending as an additional deterrent to Beijing.

Speaking at the ISS Shangri-La Dialogue Forum in Singapore on Saturday, Higseth The aforementioned China said it wanted to become the power of hegemony in Asia and was acting in a way that should be a “vigilance” call.

He said: “Any attempt by Communist China to conquer Taiwan will lead to devastating consequences for the Indian Pacific and the world.”

“There is no reason for the sugar line. The threat that China poses is real. It may be imminent. We hope that it will not be for sure.”

American intelligence officials and military officials say that president Xi Jinping The Chinese army was asked to develop the ability to invade Taiwan by 2027. But while they were increasingly concerned about the rapid military height in China, most officials emphasized that the attack was not imminent.

On his second trip to Asia as Minister of Defense, Higseth said that the allies and partners in the region should follow the “new example” of Europe to pledge to do so Promoting defensive spendingSaying, “Time is the essence.”

“It is not logical for countries in Europe to do so while the main allies in Asia spend less on defense in the face of a more enormous threat (than China), not to mention North Korea.”

Higseth said that one American strategic advantage was its network of allies, but they need to invest more. He said that the American allies in India and the Pacific must quickly upgrade their own defenses.

He added that no one should doubt the American commitment to its allies in the Indian Pacific Ocean. “We will continue to wrap our arms around our friends and find new ways to work together.”

Higseth said that US President Donald Trump was committed to “achieving peace through power.” He said this began to raise the aggression in the Indian Pacific Ocean, the “priority theater” of the United States.

While Joe Biden was accused of weak America, it seems that many military initiatives focused on Asia, which he described, was a continuation of the policies presented by the former president.

In his first major speech as defense minister, Higseth said that the United States “does not seek conflict” with China, but it “will not let our allies and partners follow.”

He said that China was using its electronic capabilities to attack the critical infrastructure in the United States and beyond and was annoying its neighbors, including Taiwan, in the South China Sea.

“Shi has ordered his army to be ready to invade Taiwan by 2027. The (People’s Liberation Army) builds the necessary army to do so, and training on that every day and trains the real deal.”

In the face of the threat of China, Higseth said that many countries “were tending to the idea of ​​searching for both economic cooperation with China and defense cooperation with the United States.”

But he warned that the economic dependence on China “complicates our decision space during times of tension or conflict.”

Higseth was speaking the day that President Emmanuel Macron told the forum that there was a need to create a “alliance of work” between the countries of Asia and Europe amid the increasing competition between the United States and China.

Unlike recent years, China has not sent defense minister To the forum. “We are here this morning and another person is not,” said Higseth, who emphasizes the American commitment to India and the Pacific, in the absence of the defense minister in China.