War with China would pose “significant challenge” for America, says Chairman of Joint Chiefs

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told Congress Wednesday that, while the US military currently remains stronger in every way than the Chinese military, it would be a “significant challenge” for America to sustain a war with China, the Washington Times reports. Chairman Gen. Mark A. Milley gave his assessment while testifying at a hearing of the House Armed Services Committee on the 2022 defense budget of $753 billion.

Giving his testimony to the armed services committee, four-star General Milley explained that, through decades of investment and modernization, China has built “an extraordinarily capable military.” Emphasizing that the Chinese military is “not currently superior” to that of the US, Milley nevertheless warned: “But their aim, their object is to be at least co-equal to if not superior.”

Although the US military plans to spend $5 billion to boost forces and alliances under the Pacific Deterrence Initiative, Milley asserted that: “The idea, though, is to deter conflict and to keep great-power competition at competition and not get it into conflict.” A US war with China “would be an enormous expensive undertaking in terms of all measures and I would be concerned about the ability to sustain a long-term conflict,” Milley added.

While Milley did not go into details about why it would be difficult to sustain a war with China, there have been reported shortfalls in necessary US military sealift, airlift and prepositioned equipment and supplies for supporting a high level, long term conflict, the Washington Times said.

Moreover, Milley warned that in the coming years, China could gain the upper hand in military capabilities systems including hypersonic missiles, advanced robotic weapons and very high-powered computer systems, the Washington Times said. “We, the United States, need to be out front and all of them,” Milley attested. “Otherwise, we’re going to be setting up future generations for a very difficult situation relative to China,” he said.

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