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It's unlikely that China will make some kind of move on Taiwan within the next two years, U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley said on Wednesday.
Milley's comments came amid heightened tension in the region and U.S. reassurances that it would stand with Taiwan against Chinese aggression.
Milley was asked on Wednesday whether he thought China was preparing to make a move on Taiwan within the near future.
Gen. Mark A. Milley during a House Armed Services Committee hearing on the conclusion of military operations in Afghanistan on Capitol Hill on Sept. 29, 2021, in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Olivier Douliery - Pool/Getty Images)
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"Based on my analysis of China, I don't think that it is likely in the next, near future being defined as the next six, 12, maybe 24 months … Having said that, though, the Chinese are clearly and unambiguously building a capability to provide those options to their national leadership if they so choose at some point in the future," Milley said at the Aspen Security Forum.
"But near future, probably not – but anything can happen."
Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen speaks during an event in Taipei on Nov. 2, 2021. (Photo by Walid Berrazeg/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Milley went on to emphasize the need for increased communications "because part of deterrence is having the capability to impose costs on your opponent, and making sure that you have the political will to actually use it. But also, a third piece of deterrence [that's] really important – is clear, unambiguous communications between both sides."
He also said that "there's no question" the U.S. has the ability to defend Taiwan.
"We absolutely have the capability to do all kinds of things around the world, to include that if required," he said. "We absolutely have the capability. There's no question about that."
The triennial Donggang King Boat Featival, a traditional ritual inherited from the Qing dynasty that is used for saving people from plagues and pandemics, in Donggang Township, Pingtung, Taiwan, on Oct. 30, 2021. (Photo by Ceng Shou Yi/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
The White House appeared to walk back previous statements President Biden made about defending Taiwan from a Chinese attack. Those remarks were scrutinized for how they stacked up to the U.S.'s long-standing "strategic ambiguity" in its would-be response to an attack.
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A White House spokesperson later told Fox News that no changes were occurring in U.S. policy toward Taiwan, which they said "is guided by the Taiwan Relations Act."
"We will uphold our commitment under the act, we will continue to support Taiwan's self-defense, and we will continue to oppose any unilateral changes to the status quo," the spokesperson added.
Fox News' Adam Shaw contributed to this report.
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