On Tuesday, Chinese leader Xi Jinping declared that the country's military would be strengthened in preparation for war.
In his remarks, Xi noted that the move was in response to increased threats to national security.
According to Reuters, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV quoted Xi as warning that China's security situation has been "increasingly unstable and uncertain" as of late, and that as a result, the country would be working to "comprehensively strengthen its military training in preparation for any war."
The threat of a more robust Chinese military has caused unease in the international community, with many worried that Xi's first target may be Taiwan.
During a speech at the CCP's 20th party congress in Beijing in October, Xi claimed that China has always "respected, cared for and benefited" the people of Taiwan, but that resolving the tension is "the Chinese people's own business."
"We insist on striving for the prospect of peaceful reunification with the greatest sincerity and best efforts," he added, "but we will never promise to give up the use of force and reserve the option to take all necessary measures."
Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-wen responded by vehemently opposing war with China, stating that, "armed confrontation is absolutely not an option for our two sides."
In September, President Biden said during an interview with 60 Minutes that if China were to attack Taiwan, the United States would send troops. The State Department also announced a $1.1 billion sale of military equipment to Taiwan because they "expected it would be needed as China increased its pressure."
In an interview with the Daily Mail, Henry Jackson Society executive director Dr. Alan Mendoza warned that while the west has largely ignored Xi's previous threats about military action, "Liberal Democracies must now take him at his word, and work collectively, using all means necessary to deter Xi from invading Taiwan."
