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South China Morning Post
6 days ago
- General
- South China Morning Post
US Indo-Pacific commander calls PLA operations in Taiwan Strait ‘rehearsals', not just exercises
The top US commander in the Pacific said on Monday that Beijing was on a 'dangerous course' and its operations around Taiwan were not mere exercises, but 'rehearsals'. Advertisement 'We face a profoundly consequential time in the Indo-Pacific. China is on a dangerous course,' said Admiral Samuel Paparo, head of US Indo-Pacific Command, in a special address to an AI expo hosted by the Special Competitive Studies Project think tank. 'Their aggressive manoeuvres around Taiwan are not just exercises. They are rehearsals,' he continued, without explicitly referencing a potential takeover of Taiwan. Beijing regards the self-ruled island as part of China, to be reunited by force if necessary. Most countries, including the US, do not recognise Taiwan as an independent state, but Washington is opposed to any attempt to take it by force and is committed to arming it. In recent years, the US has grown increasingly anxious about a mainland takeover, with officials and lawmakers eyeing 2027 as a possible window, and pointing to more frequent People's Liberation Army sorties that cross the Taiwan Strait's median line as signs of growing aggression. Advertisement Tensions between Taiwan and mainland China have also grown in the year since Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te, whom Beijing has called a 'destroyer of peace', took office. Without naming specific countries, Paparo said on Monday that China's aggression was compounded by 'a growing transactional symbiosis among an axis of autocracies,' evidenced by 'technology transfers and coordinated military activities'.
Daily Mail
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
US admiral issues warning about China's military escalation
By China is hastily escalating preparations for a military attack on Taiwan, a top US commander has warned. Admiral Samuel Paparo, who heads up the US Indo-Pacific Command, said his forces had noticed a 'quick change' in the maneuvers of the People's Liberation Army (PLA). Chinese forces have continued to hold naval drills around the island following a major 'live fire' drill last month, prompting fears of a full-scale assault on the territory. Admiral Paparo has now warned that Beijing 's military escalation shows they are ready to become a 'global force'. It is understood that President Xi Jinping has requested the military be prepared for an invasion of Taiwan by 2027. In 2005 Beijing imposed an 'anti-secession' law, promising an annexation of Taiwan if it declares formal independence or is seen moving further away from mainland control. Admiral Paparo suggested that recent Chinese drills were done in 'earnest' and represented the 'entire range of military operations, providing every option that they would want.' 'There are certain conditions where they might affect an invasion or some kind of coercive behavior before they believe they're fully ready,' he added. The commander's warnings were echoed by General Ronald P Clark, the newly appointed Commanding General of US Army Pacific,, who said Beijing's action in the South China Sea had left him and fellow officers 'speechless'. 'These are extraordinary times,' he told the Wall Street Journal. 'To think that you could execute a mission like that over a contested space that's roughly 80 nautical miles - it would be a challenge. 'We just have to make sure that they understand that our efforts to deter that type of activity is exactly what we're willing to do.' The US has committed to defending Taiwan's sovereignty, with a Pentagon strategy document leaked in April stating that preventing 'a Chinese seizure of Taiwan' is Washington's most important military task. Admiral Paparo also warned that China was expanding their military reach beyond the Taiwan Strait, as far as Australia and New Zealand. Ships seen circumnavigating Australia earlier this year were akin to the military 'stretching their legs,' he said. 'They're becoming a global force bit by bit,' he added. Asked about the balance of power between the US and China, Admiral Paparo said he is convinced that Washington would prevail in a war, based on American military advantages in submarine warfare and counterspace and the ability to strike Chinese forces 'from the surface to the Karman line,' a zone 62 miles above Earth. However, the trend for matching forces against the PLA is 'a bad trajectory.' He said China is producing two submarines a year versus 1.4 for the United States and six warships for every 1.8 U.S. naval combatant. China also produces 120 fighters yearly, compared with about 90 for the United States.
Daily Mail
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
China is at a 'rapid boil' in its preparations for a military attack on Taiwan, US admiral warns
China are hastily escalating preparations for a military attact on Taiwan, a top US commander has warned. Admiral Samuel Paparo, who heads up the US Indo-Pacific Command, said his forces had noticed a 'quick change' in the manoeuvres of the People's Liberation Army (PLA). Chinese forces have continued to hold naval drills around the island following a major 'live fire' drill last month, prompting fears of a full-scale assault on the territory. Admiral Paparo has now warned that Beijing 's military escalation show they are ready to become a 'global force'. He told a conference last week: 'You know the metaphor of boiling the frog. Well, it's a rapid boil. We notice quick change. 'I think the rates of change on the depth and breadth of their exercises is the one nonlinear effect that I've seen in the last year that wakes me up at night, that keeps me up at night.' It is understood that President Xi Jinping has requested the military be prepared for an invasion of Taiwan by 2027. In 2005 Beijing imposed an 'anti-secession' law, promising an annexation of Taiwan if it declares formal independence or is seen moving further away from mainland control. Admiral Paparo suggested that recent Chinese drills were done in 'earnest' and represented the 'entire range of military operations, providing every option that they would want.' 'There are certain conditions where they might affect an invasion or some kind of coercive behavior before they believe they're fully ready,' he added. Last month's exercises, called 'Strait Thunder 2025A', saw the PLA rehearsing the bombing of ports and energy facilities. In one propaganda video, a PLA official says: 'If Taiwan loses its maritime supply lines, its domestic resources will quickly be depleted, social order will fall into chaos and people's livelihoods will be severely impacted.' The commander's warnings were echoed by General Ronald P Clark, the newly appointed Commanding General of US Army Pacific,, who said Beijing's action in the South China Sea had left him and fellow officers 'speechless'. 'These are extraordinary times,' he told the Wall Street Journal. 'To think that you could execute a mission like that over a contested space that's roughly 80 nautical miles - it would be a challenge. 'We just have to make sure that they understand that our efforts to deter that type of activity is exactly what we're willing to do.' The US has committed to defending Taiwan's sovereignty, with a Pentagon strategy document leaked in April stating that preventing 'a Chinese seizure of Taiwan' is Washington's most important military task. Admiral Paparo also warned that China were expanding their military reach beyond the Taiwan Strait - as far as Australia and New Zealand. Ships seen circumnavigating Australia earlier this year were akin to the military 'stretching their legs,' he said. 'They're becoming a global force bit by bit,' he added. Asked about the balance of power between the US and China, Admiral Paparo said he is convinced that Washington would prevail in a war, based on American military advantages in submarine warfare and counterspace and the ability to strike Chinese forces 'from the surface to the Karman line,' a zone 62 miles above Earth. However, the trend for matching forces against the PLA is 'a bad trajectory.' He said China is producing two submarines a year versus 1.4 for the United States and six warships for every 1.8 U.S. naval combatant.
The Sun
06-05-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
China will soon be able to defeat the US in a war over Taiwan – they are preparing to invade, warns top US admiral
Lydia Doye Published: Invalid Date, CHINA will soon be able to defeat the US in a war over Taiwan, a top US admiral has warned. The chilling warning comes amid fears that China is preparing for a full-scale invasion of the island as it masses warships and submarines. 6 6 6 6 Commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command, Admiral Samuel Paparo, raised the alarm at the McCain Institute's annual Sedona Forum in Arizona on Friday. The admiral said that while the US would defeat China in a war over Taiwan now, it may soon lose its advantage, as reported by the Financial Times. Paparo said: 'The United States will prevail in the conflict as it stands now, with the force that we have right now.' But he added: 'Our trajectory on . . . really every force element that is salient is a bad trajectory.' China has ramped up its production of weapons including warships and submarines - and the US doesn't seem to be able to keep up. According to Paparo, for every 1.8 warships made in the US each year China builds an impressive six. And for every 1.4 submarines made in the US, it builds two. The warning comes as China continues to expand its military exercises around Taiwan, as fears of an invasion mount. Paparo fuelled fears of an attack, saying that Beijing is rehearsing "the full spectrum of military operations" - from a direct invasion of the island to a naval blockade. This comes as Taiwan reported at least 19 Chinese warships as well as the large Shandong aircraft carrier patrolling nearby last month. This marked the biggest number of enemy vessels seen in a 24-hour period since last May - part of China's chilling war games. But the US admiral hinted that Taiwan wouldn't be on their own if China invaded. When asked whether the US would support military intervention in Taiwan, he responded: 'A lesson in history is that people are always saying America will never get in a fight, but it's not the track record.' But if China continues to ramp up its weapons production the US may not be able to protect the island. And China may have more weapons than previously thought. Why does China want to invade Taiwan? TAIWAN insists it is an independent nation after splitting from mainland China amid civil war in 1949. But China claims Taiwan remains a part of its territory with which it must eventually be reunified - and has not ruled out the use of force to take the island and place it under Beijing's control. The island, which is roughly 100 miles from the coast of south-east China, sees itself as distinct from the Chinese mainland, with its own constitution and democratically-elected leaders. Taiwan sits in the so-called "first island chain", which includes a list of US-friendly territories that are crucial to Washington's foreign policy in the region. This also puts it in an ideal situation to slow a Chinese attack on the West. And with tensions between the two nations high, Taiwan is likely to aid China's enemy if it means keeping its independence. Taiwan's economy is another factor in China's desperation to reclaim the land. If China takes the island, it could be freer to project power in the western Pacific and rival the US, thanks to much of the world's electronics being made in Taiwan. This would allow Beijing to have control over an industry that drives the global economy. China insists that its intentions are peaceful, but President Xi Jinping has also used threats towards the small island nation. Google Maps images exposed China's secret submarine fleet back in April. The shocking pictures showed six nuke boats massed at a Chinese base. These included two of the deadly Type 091 submarines, two Type 093A and one chillingly unidentified submarine. The base - dubbed the First Submarine Base - is located 18km east of Qingdao in the Yellow Sea, meaning there's easy access to the East China Sea and the Sea of Japan. Australian independent naval analyst Alex Luck posted the shocking images to X. In the post, he said that five nuclear-powered subs seen on the base were conventionally armed. Taiwan insists it is an independent nation after splitting from mainland China amid civil war in 1949. But China claims Taiwan remains a part of its territory with which it must eventually be reunified - and has not ruled out the use of force to take the island and place it under Beijing's control. China insists that its intentions are peaceful, but President Xi Jinping has also waged a "war of words" on the small island nation. In this years New Year's address, President Xi said that the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are one family. And he has previously called the independence of Taiwan a futile effort and that annexation by Beijing is a "historical inevitability". 6 6
