White House Officials Say No Reason for US-China Conflict

Illustration of US and Chinese flags. (Wikimedia Commons/US Department of State)

JAKARTA - Conflict between the United States and China is inevitable, even if it is uncertain and there is no reason for it to happen, said a White House official, after a top general warned about the ongoing tension between the two nuclear superpowers.

The comments from John Kirby, spokesman for the White House National Security Council, come after an Air Force general warned in a memo last week that the US could go to war with China over Taiwan by 2025.

"However, our view is that conflict is inevitable, and it is not certain not at any given time," Kirby said, citing The National News, February 9.

"We know that President Xi (Jinping) has said he wants his military to be ready by 2027 for such an eventuality, but our feeling is that there is no reason for that to happen," Kirby continued.

He further explained that nothing had changed in US policy towards Taiwan, with Washington still supporting the island's self-defence, but not its independence under the One China approach.

On Tuesday, US President Joe Biden said Washington would compete with China, not seek conflict. But he warned Beijing after the United States shot down a suspected spy balloon over the weekend.

"Make no mistake: as we made clear last week, if China threatens our sovereignty, we will act to protect our country. And we do," President Biden said.

"I explained to (President) Xi Jinping, that we will compete fully with China, but we are not looking for conflict. And that's what's happened so far," President Biden explained in an interview with PBS, as quoted from SCMP.

The 'spy balloon' caused a huge stir last week when it soared across America, including over states with nuclear missile silos.

Meanwhile, Beijing claims the object is just a weather balloon.

Much earlier, US Navy Admiral Phil Davidson alerted the US Congress to his concerns about China's ambitions in 2021, and said Beijing might enter Taiwan before 2027.

Meanwhile, last October, Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Michael Gilday said President Xi had set a deadline for Taiwan to reunite with China by 2027, by force if necessary. But Admiral Gilday also warned that the move could be done much sooner.