A few days ago, Chinese President Xi Jinping called on the Chinese Armed Forces to prepare for war with all their minds and energy. This happened during a visit to the military base in the southern province of Guangdong. During an inspection tour of the People’s Liberation Army Marine Corps in Chaozhu City, state news agency Xinhua quoted Xi as telling the soldiers to “…maintain a state of high alert” and called on them to be “…absolutely loyal, absolutely pure and absolutely reliable.”

Tensions between China and the United States remain at their worst state in decades. Some experts say this is the worst period in China-US relationship since the days of Mao. There are several points of tension; but the current high point of tension is over Taiwan. The US has announced that it would sell three advanced weapons systems to Taiwan and last August, US Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar visited Taiwan, ostensibly to discuss the pandemic. He is the highest American official in decades to visit Taiwan.

Taiwan has never been controlled by the Chinese Communist Party; but the Chinese government continues to claim sovereignty. There is a median line that serves as a boundary between China and Taiwan. Beijing has recently increased military drills around Taiwan. Almost 40 warplanes crossed the median line between the mainland and Taiwan. Taiwanese President Tsai lng Wen sees it as a “threat of force.”

US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said in a recent speech that “…China cannot match the United States: in terms of military and naval power.” The US has just announced a “Battle Force 2045” plan which calls for an expanded and modernized US Navy of 500 manned and unmanned vessels by 2045.

https://www.philstar.com/opinion/2020/10/22/2051354/stupid-miscalculation-leads-war