China is building up its military and nuclear arsenal and these signs indicate that it is ready to invade Taiwan by 2027. This was stated by the head of the US Indo-Pacific Command, Admiral John Aquilino, Bloomberg reports.
According to him, despite China's economic problems, its official defense budget has increased by 16% in recent years and amounted to more than $223 billion.
The admiral added that in the three years since he took command, the Chinese army has commissioned an additional 400 fighter jets and more than 20 large warships. Beijing has also doubled its arsenal of ballistic and cruise missiles since 2020.
"Everything points to Chinese President Xi Jinping's instruction at a meeting with the army to be ready to invade Taiwan by 2027," Aquilino said.