New thriller predicts deadly US-China war

Is there a war coming between China and the US? Yesterday, Joe Biden made headlines by attacking Xi Jinping in his first speech to Congress. Top military veterans are imagining the worst. Joe Biden stood up in front of the US Congress and warned the world of a deadly threat facing his nation. “We’re in competition with China to win the 21st century,” Biden declared solemnly. “I spent a lot of time with President Xi Jinping. He’s deadly earnest about becoming the most significant, consequential nation in the world.” Today, as Biden celebrates his 100th day as US President, many believe he is right to be worried. There is no doubt: China, with a population of nearly 1.4 billion, is a huge force on the world stage. Last December, one UK report even predicted that China will overtake the US to become the world’s biggest economy in 2028, five years earlier than previously forecast. Meanwhile, as China grows, the US is faltering. Political upheaval, an economic crisis, decades of conflict in the Middle East and the pandemic have all dented America’s confidence. Now, some people are wondering what a war between China and the US would look like. Retired admiral James Stavridis and former marine Elliot Ackerman think it might look a little bit like this: The date is March 2034, and America’s president is faced with a crisis abroad. In the South China Sea, US warships are caught in a surprise cyber attack by the Chinese navy. Hundreds of American sailors are lying dead at the bottom of the ocean. Meanwhile, a US Marine Corps pilot testing stealth technology has just been captured over the skies of Iran. Back in Washington DC, a terrifying reality dawns on the President: Iran and China are plotting together against America. This is the opening of 2034: A Novel of the Next World War, published this March and written together by the two US army veterans. The cyber thriller ends in a stunning nuclear battle and the surprise emergence of India as the world’s biggest superpower. It might seem far fetched, but reviewers have identified three startling similarities between the opening of 2034 and recent real life events. Worrying cooperation. In 2034, Iran and China work together to attack America. Alarmingly, Iran signed a 25-year trade, investment and defence pact with China last month. Rogue Russia. Stavridis and Ackerman believe that in a war between China and the US, Russia will side with China. Meanwhile, just last week Vladimir Putin warned the US that anyone who threatens Russia “will regret their deeds more than they have regretted anything in a long time”. The battle for Taiwan. It is no surprise that the first thing China does after attacking US warships in 2034 is seize Taiwan. In real life, TaiwanAn island country in east Asia. China still claims to be the legitimate owner of Taiwan, while the Taiwanese government until recently claimed to be the legitimate government of the whole of China. is home to TSMC, one of only three manufacturers that can make the world’s most advanced microchips, which are vital for cyber warfare and the digital economy. Today, China is increasing its military presence around Taiwan. “If Taiwan is taken by China, I think the consequences will be global,” said the island’s Foreign Minister this week. Is there a war coming between China and the US? 13 years It is inevitable, say some. In 2019, former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger warned that the US and China were in the “foothills of a cold war”. Today, his words sound like a grim foreshadowing of bad news to come. Aggression between America and its adversaries, including China, is growing. For Biden to speak out now, he must be truly concerned. It is too soon to say, others claim. War is a possibility, not a certainty. If world leaders work together, they can stop a war before it begins. Stavridis and Ackerman insist their book is a cautionary tale designed to help America avoid disaster, not a prediction of impending doom. As Biden said on Wednesday, the US is not looking to start a conflict, but to prevent one. KeywordsXi Jinping - The president of China, who has concentrated power and removed term limits allowing him to serve for life.