Hong Kong. December 5th. INTERFAX - The United States should be prepared for a limited war with China to protect Taiwan in order to prevent China's dominance in Asia, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported on Sunday, citing former deputy assistant to the head of the Pentagon, Elbridge Colby.
SCMP recalls that he was the main developer of the US national defense strategy of 2018, in which the focus was shifted from the fight against terrorism to rival relations with other countries, with China being called a "strategic rival" of the United States. Now Colby has presented his views in the book "The Strategy of Denial" (The Strategy of Denial).
"From Colby's point of view, the United States and its allies need to prepare for a military conflict. Known as a "hawk" among Republicans, he recommends a "limited war" that will focus on causing minimal disruption to the region," the SCMP notes.
The publication explains that according to Colby, China is trying to become a regional hegemon and will achieve this if the United States does not stop it. At the same time, the best strategy for Beijing would be to seize Washington's vulnerable ally like Taiwan.
"America's best military strategy is a strategy of denial, that is, a strategy that seeks to prevent China from using military forces to achieve political goals," Colby argues in the book.
"The denial strategy is to prepare the US and its allies and partners to fight and fulfill the goals in a limited war against China," he explains.
He called for the formation of an "anti-hegemonic coalition" from Japan, India, Australia, Vietnam, the Philippines, South Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia and Taiwan. In his opinion, a possible Chinese attack on Taiwan should be met with a "limited war", and so that both sides do not have motives to contribute to further escalation of the situation.
Colby also called in this situation to reduce US military commitments in Europe and the Middle East. He also considers it necessary for the United States to speak more directly in defense of Taiwan.
SCMP adds that in the finale of The Strategy of Denial, Colby notes about writing the book "with very great respect for China," and that the US will not challenge the way China is governed or its ideology until it becomes a regional hegemon.
