War may flareup between US-China over Taiwan, warns US Indo-Pacific

Canberra/Beijing: Admiral John Aquilino, the head of US Indo-Pacific Command said, ‘Russian attacks on Ukraine are an indication for us. Like Russia, China also could attack Taiwan. Therefore, we cannot be negligent. The United States has to be prepared for every situation at all times. A war could break out between the United States and China over Taiwanese security.’ China is highly annoyed with this. China has threatened a new crisis if attempts are made to find similarities between Taiwan and Ukraine.

Last week, Admiral Aquilino toured Australia for six days. The Indo-Pacific chief’s visit to Australia was kept a secret. The visit details were revealed only after an interview given by Admiral Aquilino to a daily. Admiral Aquilino’s visit is said to have been aimed at getting the Australian military to join the US strategic plans.

In an interview with the daily, the Indo-Pacific Chief said that the United States was carrying out large-scale military operations in the region, given the serious threat posed by China. Last year, Admiral Aquilino claimed that China had smartly increased its maritime and air strengths in the Taiwanese area. Admiral Aquilino said that China is expanding its nuclear arsenal and will be equipped with more than a thousand nuclear weapons over the next decade.

As the US Indo-Pacific Command head warns of a war with China over the Taiwan issue, a major US-Philippine war exercise has begun. Nearly 9,000 US and Philippine troops have taken part in the annual ‘Balikatan’ exercise, which started near the Taiwan Strait. It is claimed that the US Indo-Pacific Command has issued a warning to China by holding the exercises close to the Taiwanese marine region.

Meanwhile, Admiral Aquilino had expressed a concern that China may attack Taiwan in the next few months. But China is agitated as Admiral Aquilino compared Taiwan and Ukraine. Wang Wenbin, the Chinese foreign ministry spokesman, claimed that Ukraine is an independent country and Taiwan is a sovereign Chinese territory. Therefore, Taiwan cannot be compared to Ukraine. Wenbin warned that if an attempt is still made to compare the two, a new crisis will be created in this sector.