US four-star general predicts war with China in two years in chilling memo

A top American air force general has predicted that the US and China will likely go to war by 2025 amid heightening tensions over the Taiwan Strait. The message is the most dramatic yet from a military officer of the looming likelihood of a war over Taiwan, a crucial 'choke point' in the South China Sea that is of strategic interest to both Beijing and Washington. The memo warns that a conflict will likely surface due to a series of circumstances that will embolden Chinese President Xi Jinping, including upcoming elections in both US and Taiwan. As tensions between the two countries over the self-governing Island nation remain high, the veteran general said that he seeks to build 'a fortified, ready, integrated, and agile Joint Force Maneuver Team ready to fight' - 'and win' in air and sea skirmishes before Taiwan can be taken. Despite insisting its independence from mainland China, the country has found itself increasingly at odds with its nemesis across the Taiwan Strait, due its status as the last, non communist-controlled bastion in the chain of islands cutting off China from the Pacific Ocean - and crucial lanes for maritime trade. A Chinese PLA J-16 fighter jet flies in an undisclosed location on January 9, 2023, one of several war planes and navy vessels towards Taiwan amid rising tensions between the US and China. The assertions came as a surprise to some, as they conflicted with the US' longstanding policy of 'strategic ambiguity' in regards to China and Taiwan's ongoing cold war, under which officials in Washington do not disclose any plans about the two countries' conflict.