US has ‘privately accepted fate’ China will take Taiwan after allowing ‘build-up of weapons for decades,’ expert says

THE US privately accepts that China will take Taiwan after allowing a build-up of weapons in the region for decades, an ex US Air Force officer warns.

Brigadier-General Robert Spalding III (Ret.) fears there’s no way Washington and its allies can protect Taiwan from Beijing’s aggression.

He told The Sun: “We’ve allowed too much weaponry to be built in that area of the (Taiwan) Strait.

“The fate of Taiwan is a foregone conclusion and officials in Washington accept this privately.”

Spalding predicts China will invade Taiwan within five years.

“We have to recognize that China has the most powerful military in the Indo-Pacific region and at any time, it can move into Taiwan.”

China sees Taiwan as a province that will eventually be returned to mainland rule but the island maintains its independence.

The US recognized Taiwan for 30 years but changed its strategy in 1979 when Washington established diplomatic relations with the mainland Chinese Communist government.

Spalding says Beijing is decoupling its economy before they consider launching an attack.

He added: “The Chinese want to be able to have an economic relationship that’s not subject to dollar diplomacy meaning it can’t be cut off from the US financial system.”

Russia has been slapped with crippling sanctions after pro-Putin troops launched their invasion of Ukraine last month.

Spalding doesn’t believe China will suffer the same fate in the event of a potential invasion.

Meanwhile, geopolitical expert Brandon J Weichert blasted elites in Washington, accusing politicians of taking their “eye off the proverbial ball” amid the crisis in Ukraine.

He said: “As we focus on that war, China takes the lead in the critical domain of high technology.

“This will inevitably allow China to displace the US as the world’s hegemonic power by 2049 when Xi envisages making the country the world’s dominant power rather than the United States.”

Department of Defense officials said that Beijing aims to fulfill “the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation” by 2049, according to a .

They added that elites want to “displace US alliances” and “revise the international order” so it’s aligned with China’s interests.

Beijing’s leaders are determined to achieve a world-class military so it can “fight and win wars” against a “strong” enemy, the report revealed.

‘GREAT REJUVENATION’

State media claimed that Chinese researchers have developed an artificial intelligence system that can design hypersonic weapons.

Scientists in Sichuan said the system can identify most of the shockwaves produced during hypersonic wind tunnel tests, the reported.

Apparently, the system required no training to operate.

Prof. Le Jialing, who led the research, said the human brain cannot keep up with the “rapid pace of hypersonic technology development”.

China has been bolstering its defense for decades and officials view progress in hypersonics as a source of national pride.

In a recent military parade, Beijing displayed its own Dongfeng 17- a rocket-boosted hypersonic glide vehicle.

Commentators say that there’s a rivalry between the US and China in the field of hypersonic missiles – a claim that Spalding questions.

He said: “I don’t know that there’s a rivalry because China is so far ahead. It’s not even anywhere close.”

AMERICA ‘IN DANGER’

Space Force General David Thompson previously warned at a Halifax International Security Forum event in November: “We’re not as advanced as the Chinese or the Russians in terms of hypersonic programs.”

Beijing allegedly tested a hypersonic weapon that orbited the Earth in July, and a second missile was launched during the same test event, according to reports in the and The 

The missile fell “harmlessly” into the South China Sea.

But, the test left officials in Washington scrambling as they were caught off-guard.

Spalding thinks another Cold War is underway involving the US and China amid the battle between authoritarianism and freedom.

He said: “There is going to be this ideological narrative that’s going to be fought in the cyber realm.”

He warned that the US is in danger of losing Cold War 2.0.

He said: “The next ten years will be very critical. If you see the rise of authoritarianism in the west, then you could very well see a world where China is the dominant power.”

Robert Spalding III is a retired United States Air Force brigadier general and is the author of Stealth War: How China Took Over While America’s Elite Slept.