Issuing a warning about the China-Russia dual threat, the US Intelligence Agency has recently announced that Russia and China are cooperating on many issues, including plans for a potential invasion of Taiwan.
Talking about this warning during the congressional hearing, Avril Haines (Director of National Intelligence), has recently announced that for the first time, China and Russia are cooperating on the issue of Taiwan.
“We see China and Russia, for the first time, exercising together about Taiwan and recognizing that this is a place where China wants Russia to be working with them, and we see no reason why they wouldn’t.”- said Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines.
Republican Senator Mike Rounds of South Dakota further asked haines about such potential scenario during Senate Armed Services Committee’s hearing. He later also asked Defense Intelligence Agency about Pentagon’s readiness for this scenario.
In response Lieutenant General Jeffrey Kruse responded that defense department has now become concerned about their joint requirements more than ever in an environment where China and Russia will certainly cooperate. It needs to be taken into account.
Giving his observation, rounds said that if we have a conflict with one, then another front will open. “The bottom line is that, basically, if we were to have a conflict with one, chances are that we would have a second front,” affecting planning, equipment and manpower needs”-said rounds.
In response haines said it’s a possibility. But he also emphasized that how likely it is, it also differs on the scenario.
Talking more about the intelligence, haines also said that as per the intelligence assessments, there is a strong indication of increasing cooperation between Russia & China across every sector present in the society: political, economic, military, technological etc.
This is not the first instance of the US accusing China. Previously, the US charged Beijing with supplying the Kremlin with satellite imagery to aid Russian and Chinese forces in Ukraine.