China tailors drills for Taiwan invasion: U.S. Air Force official

Washington, Sept. 16 (CNA) A United States Air Force official said that "China is not a future threat; China is a threat today," citing Beijing's conducting of military exercises tailored for an invasion and blockade of Taiwan during a speech on Monday.

During a keynote speech at an Air & Space Forces Association convention, U.S. Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall noted that China continues to heavily invest in capabilities, operational concepts and organizations designed to defeat the U.S. and its allies' ability to project power in the Western Pacific region, according to a news report published by the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) the same day.

Based on his observation of the development of China's military over the past 15 years, Kendall said China has moved toward larger and more sophisticated exercises tailored for an invasion and blockade of Taiwan, according to the DOD report.

Kendall also said that China has deployed weapons targeting U.S. air bases and aircraft carriers, while expanding its nuclear forces and enhancing its capabilities in cyberspace.

"China is not a future threat; China is a threat today," he added.

Countries in the Indo-Pacific region have expressed concerns over the Chinese military's growing capabilities and intentions, during his visits to the region over the past 15 years, Kendall noted.

These developments do not indicate an "imminent or inevitable" war in the Pacific, Kendall said.

"But I am saying that the likelihood is increasing and will continue to do so," he was quoted as saying in the DOD article.

Meanwhile, Kendall pointed out that the U.S. Air and Space Forces are actively preparing for a potential future conflict.

"To prevent conflict, we must be ready; [and] to prevail in conflict, we must be ready," he said.

Kendall delivered his keynote address on the first day of the three-day Air, Space & Cyber Conference hosted by Air & Space Forces Association.