The Pentagon said that they intend to ensure the containment of China for decadesThe US plans to restrain China for decades, the rivalry between the two countries will continue for several generations of people's lives.
This was announced on Tuesday, May 9, by the First Deputy Secretary of Defense of the United States Kathleen Hicks at a meeting in Washington dedicated to the modernization of the military sphere.
"I want to make it clear that our goal is deterrence, because rivalry does not mean conflict. <...> The PRC is a challenge for generations. Although the country will change, it will not disappear anywhere. So we are constantly competing in order to gain an advantage," she said.
Hicks believes that China's awareness of the risks of aggression will be a success for the Pentagon. It will lead the PRC to the conclusion that "today is not the day."
The deputy Minister added that Washington is trying to ensure that Beijing "thinks so today and every day."
Earlier, on May 8, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang, during a meeting with US Ambassador Nicholas Burns, called on Washington to rethink its strategy towards China. He called for rapprochement in cooperation with the People's Republic of China, to help ensure that relations between the two countries get out of a difficult situation and return to normal.
On May 6, Bloomberg reported that the United States is preparing a package of military assistance for Taiwan, which the American administration intends to transfer under an accelerated procedure. Already, the country's congress has authorized the American president to direct up to $1 billion from the country's reserves to "support island democracy."
At the end of April, the US Navy announced the launch of tests of five underwater drones that can "radically change the situation" in the Taiwan Strait. It was noted that the new drones have the potential of hidden installation of mines.
On April 6, Chinese President Xi Jinping said that China would not make concessions on the Taiwan issue. According to him, "anyone who expects China to make concessions is indulging in unrealistic dreams."
The escalation of the conflict between China and Taiwan occurred after the visit of the Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi to the island in August 2022. The Chinese side considers Taiwan to be its territory, therefore it considers visiting the island by officials of other countries as support for Taiwan's independence.
The island of Taiwan has been governed by an independent administration since 1949, when the Kuomintang forces led by General Chiang Kai-shek, who lost the civil war with the Communist Party of China, moved to Taiwan. Contacts between the island and mainland China later resumed.
