Andrew Salmon
A version of this story appeared in the daily Threat Status newsletter from The Washington Times. Click here to receive Threat Status delivered directly to your inbox each weekday.
As its reach and capabilities extend in all directions, China has emerged as a subject of deep concern for Washington and for democratic capitals across Asia, including Canberra, New Delhi, Manila, Taipei and Tokyo.
The People’s Liberation Army, or PLA, has benefited from 30 years of budget increases, upgrades in prestige and professionalism, and a string of new bases and outposts across the South China Sea. It also has plentiful support from the country’s assertive president, Xi Jinping.
All that has left the Pentagon and critics on Capitol Hill alarmed over the communist regime’s military ambitions in the not-too-distant future.
“All indications point to the PLA meeting President Xi Jinping’s directive to be ready to invade Taiwan by 2027,” Adm. John C. Aquilino, head of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, said in March.
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