CIA chief warns of Chinese design to invade Taiwan before 2027

CIA Director William Burns cautioned the global community of the fact that it should not underestimate Chinese President Xi Jinping's project to annex Taiwan even when his ally Russia has been facing huge discomfiture in Ukraine.

New Delhi, Feb 4: Chinese nefarious agenda to annex Taiwan is not new for the world and at various platforms the Chinese leaders have also admitted it as for them Taiwan is still their territory. Warning of the same, Director of US' Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) William Burns, in a recent statement, said that China may try to invade and annex Taiwan well before 2027.

Burns also cautioned the global community of the fact that it should not underestimate Chinese President Xi Jinping's project to annex Taiwan even when his ally Russia has been facing huge embarrassment in Ukraine. He is definitely hinting towards the Ukraine crisis which is not heading towards any conclusive victory for Russia any soon.

Elaborating further on the Chinese design to occupy Taiwan in the next five years or so, Burns said that the United States knows as it has the intelligence on it. Nonetheless, has also been quoted saying that Xi Jinping may or may not decide on timing of the invasion but it is pertinent to note that the issue is quite serious.

Xi Jinping's focus and ambition

In his quote one could gather that Burns is focusing on the two major points from the Chinese leader, that is, 'focus' and 'ambition'. There are several occasions where China has shown its ambition regarding the status of Taiwan. It has also shown aggressive manoeuvring over the last couple of years with naval and air force activities.

There were also some speculations that China may take advantage of the Ukraine crisis and invade Taiwan anytime. However, that has not happened; that is where the warning from the CIA Director Burns becomes important. As he says that Xi Jinping's timing of invasion aside, his 'focus' and 'ambition' are the concerns that should be paid attention.

The answer to the question why China did not take advantage of the Ukraine crisis and rushed for Taiwan invasion could be found in Burns' statement that Xi Jinping may have been surprised and unsettled by the Russian military's performance in Ukraine. He contemplates that Xi has drawn some military lessons from the ongoing Ukraine war.

Burns made it clear that Xi Jinping has seen poor performance of the Russian military and its weapons against the Ukrainian armed forces. It's pertinent to note that Russia and China entered into a partnership just before Russian defence forces entered Ukraine. The 'no limits' partnership between the two countries has also caught attention from NATO.