U.S. would defeat China in a war over Taiwan, Joints Chiefs head says

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The U.S. fields the most powerful army in the world and would defeat China if war breaks out over Taiwan, according to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Air Force Gen. Charles Q. Brown, who became the president’s most senior military adviser on Oct. 1, said a conflict with China is neither imminent nor inevitable, but that the U.S. military must be ready if war breaks out.

Asked if the United States could defeat China in a conflict, Gen. Brown said: “Yes, I’m fully confident in our force.”

“We are the most lethal, most respected combat force in the world,” he told the Aspen Security Forum on Friday. “Now, it’s going to take all the nation if we go to conflict with the with the PRC, and I’m confident, if we’re challenged, we will be there.”

A recent think tank simulation studying conflict between U.S. and China forces over Taiwan found the United States defeats China in combat but at a heavy cost. The Center for Strategic and International Studies exercise projected that U.S. and allied forces lose tens of thousands of troops, dozens of ships and hundreds of aircraft in the war.

Gen. Brown was asked about a Japanese government report analyzing stepped-up Chinese military drills around Taiwan that concluded Beijing’s forces could land forces on Taiwan in a rapid assault within a week of imposing a blockade. The report also stated that the People’s Liberation Army would conduct an operation to seize control of the self-ruled island before U.S. and allied military forces could come to Taipei’s aid.

Gen. Brown said he agrees that the current state of warfare has changed with advanced technology. A war with China, he said, will not be similar to any conflicts of the past 30 years or more.

“These will be major conflicts akin to what we saw in WWII, and so we’ve got to come to grips with that,” he said. “Two, the PRC knows where our advantages are and the combat capability we can bring to bear. My sense is they’ll want to go quick so they can do it before we can bring capability there.”

To be ready for that scenario, Gen. Brown said he is accelerating previous efforts to build up American military logistics in the region, stockpiling weapons, ammunition, supplies and other military support before a conflict breaks out.

“The more we can show that we can get there fast, [the] greater [the] deterrence,” he said.

President Biden has said the United States would intervene militarily if China were to use its military to attempt to take over Taiwan.

Beijing has vowed to take control of the island that it claims as its territory.

Asked about military analysts who said Taiwan should focus on purchasing more effective and strategic defense weapons from the United States and former President Donald Trump’s comment that he wants Taipei to spend more on defense, Gen. Brown said the Pentagon is already engaged with Taiwanese officials on those topics.

The use of drone weapons and cyberwarfare capabilities are key indicators that the character of warfare is evolving, he said. That means that “high-end” military capabilities may not be the decisive factor in war. Instead, a greater mix of both traditional military force and asymmetric warfare capabilities is needed.

Restructuring Taiwan’s military defenses will “make them a much tougher target, and much more challenging” for the Chinese military in attempting an assault, the four-star chairman said. U.S. and allied military forces are working to improve their skills so that American adversaries “never want to mess with us,” the general said.

“I mean, I play to win, and I’m going to do everything I can to make sure it’s an unfair fight. That’s my focus, and so we’ve got to stay nimble on this kind of look long.”

The recent computer software glitch that shut down networks around the world probably was watched by U.S. adversaries who could cause similar disruptions in a future conflict, Gen. Brown said.

“I’m sure our adversaries are looking at this as a way to … put sand into gears if we’re trying to generate combat power to go to respond for a crisis anywhere around the world,” he said.