‘Lower the Rhetoric’ on China, Says Milley
We’re not on the “brink of war” with China, and Taiwan is not so easy to conquer, says the top U.S. general.
KEVIN BARON | MARCH 31, 2023 04:07 PM ET
CHINA PENTAGON ASIA-PACIFIC CONGRESS
Watch Kevin Baron's interview with Gen. Mark Milley, part of Defense One's State of Defense series, here.
Everyone needs to calm down about war with China, Gen. Mark Milley said on Friday.
The Joint Chiefs chairman warned against the rise of “overheated” rhetoric of a looming U.S. war with China, and he said he doubts China’s chances of “conquering” Taiwan. But, he added, the United States should continue to quicken arms shipments to the self-governing nation and its own military capabilities, just in case.
Following this year’s Chinese balloon scare, the China heat is on. In the last two weeks, members of Congress in hearings aimed a list of concerns about China—everything from nuclear weapons to computer chips, invading Taiwan, and allying with Russia—at Milley and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. Milley has taken to telling lawmakers that war with China—and Russia—is “not imminent or inevitable.” It’s part of an effort to lower the heat, he said.
“I think there's a lot of rhetoric in China, and a lot of rhetoric elsewhere, to include the United States, that could create the perception that war is right around the corner or we’re on the brink of war with China,” Milley said in an interview with Defense One.
https://www.defenseone.com/threats/2023/03/lower-rhetoric-china-says-milley/384693/
