While his internal memo starkly sets out Washington’s agenda for war, Air Force General Michael Minihan is not an isolated maverick within the US military.
The US is setting a trap for China by pushing it to take military action against Taiwan in the same way that it provoked Russia into invading Ukraine, having made advanced preparations for such a war.
The talks centred around the positioning of key US army, airforce and navy assets in Australia, with the north of the country becoming a giant American military base in all but name.
Even as the threats to stability in Asia multiply, there has not been a commensurate increase of U.S. capabilities. While the Obama Administration believes its “Asia Pivot” will animate U.S. policy toward Asia, the U.S. military lacks the resources necessary to implement such a strategy.