U.S. intelligence officials assess that Russia and China are working more closely together on military issues, including a potential invasion of Taiwan, prompting new planning across the government to counter a potential scenario in which the countries fight in coordination.
¡°We see China and Russia, for the first time, exercising together in relation to Taiwan and recognizing that this is a place where China definitely wants Russia to be working with them, and we see no reason why they wouldn¡¯t,¡± Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said Thursday in testimony to Congress.
Republican Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota asked Haines about such a potential scenario during a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee. He also asked the head of the Defense Intelligence Agency about the Pentagon¡¯s planning for such a possibility.
The Defense Department has ¡°become even more concerned about our joint force requirements in an environment where¡± Russia and China ¡°would certainly be cooperative, and we need to take that into account,¡± Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kruse responded.
Rounds said that the ¡°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.
¡°Certainly it¡¯s a possibility,¡± Haines said. ¡°The question of just how likely it is, I think differs depending on the scenario.¡±
Haines added that intelligence assessments indicate there is ¡°increasing cooperation in the ¡®no-limits¡¯ partnership¡± between Russia and China ¡°across really every sector of society: political, economic, military, technological and so on.¡±
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