During his speech at the Chinese Communist Party’s National Congress on Sunday, President Xi Jinping stressed the continued importance of China’s efforts to become more self-reliant. He has already been seen as largely successful in fulfilling the vow made just seven years ago – when he assumed the top leadership role – that he would transform the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) into a “world-class fighting force.”
As it edges ever closer to being a peer to the U.S. military, there are concerns that China could launch an invasion of Taiwan, which Beijing has long maintained is a breakaway province that will be returned to mainland control by force if necessary.
Many of the United States military’s top leaders have issued warnings as to when such an invasion by China of the self-ruling island could occur – and different timelines have been suggested.
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