Reckless warmongering words point to gung ho generals and politicians in US: China Daily editorial

The world is full of obvious things that many choose not to observe. Such as the fact that, despite all its cries of alarm about this or that country being a threat to peace and stability, it is the United States that is the most gung ho and habitual destroyer of both.

This has been once again laid bare by the reckless talk from Washington of a coming "war" between China and the United States over Taiwan.

According to reports, Michael McCaul, the new chairman of the House of Representatives' Foreign Affairs Committee, said on Sunday that the odds of a conflict with China over Taiwan "are very high". His remarks came two days after a rabidly bloodlusting memo by US Air Force General Mike Minihan was made public. In it, Minihan said he believed that the US would fight a war with China in the next two years, directing all troops under his command to undertake firing practice "with the full understanding that unrepentant lethality matters most. Aim for the head."

Considering that the US has been constantly stoking tensions across the Taiwan Straits through such tricks as colluding with pro-independence forces on the island, selling arms to it and hollowing out the one-China principle with various political stunts, it is not hard to deduce that the US military is actually gunning for such a conflict, or at least hyping it up for a bigger budget.

Meanwhile, those politicians in Washington heralding an imminent war with the Chinese mainland over Taiwan already have their eyes on 2024 and are early players in the "let's show who's the toughest on China" game the two parties always play in the run-up to a presidential election.

US President Joe Biden has said on more than one occasion that the US does not seek a new Cold War, does not seek to revitalize its alliances against China, does not support "Taiwan independence", and has no intention to have a conflict with China.

Yet, at the same time, there can be no mistaking the subtext of the message the US is sending, which is that it will have no qualms about sacrificing world peace and stability in order to maintain its hegemony.

Nonetheless, US officials hyping up the possibility of a war with China should take some time to reflect upon their warmongering words and the potential consequences of emboldening the secessionists on the island. No one should underestimate Beijing's determination to resolve the Taiwan question and realize China's complete reunification, nor believe that it can be intimidated.

But, having said that, nor should they ignore its consistency in stating that national reunification by peaceful means is the preferred choice, as it best serves the interests of the Chinese nation as a whole, and works best for the long-term stability and development of the country as a whole.