The highest-ranking American military officer has said that US officials need to “lower the rhetoric” on China.

The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Amy Gen. Mark A. Milley, says that while Washington needs "cold-eyed realism" about the prospect of a potential US-China military clash, America is not on the "brink of war" with China as some officials have warned. 

Gen. Milley said in an interview with Defense One that "there’s a lot of rhetoric in China, and a lot of rhetoric elsewhere, to include the United States, that could create the perception that war is right around the corner or we’re on the brink of war with China."

The joint chiefs' chairman said that “it is possible that you could have an incident or some other trigger event that could lead to uncontrolled escalation. So, it’s not impossible. But I don’t think at this point I would put it in the likely category,” according to a summary of the interview published Friday. “And I think that the rhetoric itself can overheat the environment,” he said.

Read next: Xi says improper handling of Taiwan issues will hit China-US ties

Gen. Milley's remarks come after a flurry of alerts from lower-ranking American military officials in recent months regarding the possibility of a "military conflict with China."

An Air Force general warned in January that the US could be at war with China within two years, pointing to the alleged emerging danger from the Chinese Communist Party’s publicly stated ambition to absorb "Taiwan and increasing Chinese military activity near the US-backed island democracy."

The 2024 presidential elections in Taiwan and the United States, according to Air Mobility Command chief Gen. Mike Minihan, could leave the United States "distracted" and provide Chinese President Xi Jinping with a window of opportunity to allegedly attack Taiwan.

Related News

No ceasefire deal could have included 'buffer zone' in Lebanon: Envoy

Trump picks retired three-star General as envoy on Ukraine war

“I hope I am wrong. My gut tells me we will fight in 2025,” Gen. Minihan said in the January memo.

US suffers from 'China blindness'

Rear Admiral Michael Studeman, the Office of Naval Intelligence's Mandarin-speaking commander, issued a warning a few weeks later, claiming that US political leaders and the general public are suffering from "China blindness," and that they are unable to fully comprehend the actual threat that China poses to US security.

The admiral warned that President Xi is promoting a "China dream", allegedly seeking to diminish and ultimately replace the US as the world's most powerful state.

“I’m going to be very honest with you: it’s very unsettling to see how much the US is not connecting the dots on our No. 1 challenge, even though the national security and defense strategies call China out,” Adm. Studeman said. “It’s disturbing how ill-informed and naive the average American is on China.”

Milley expressed his doubts about China’s chances of allegedly “conquering” Taiwan because of the tactical difficulty associated with the sort of amphibious and airborne operation that would be required.

He asserted that Taiwan requires air defense, anti-ship cruise missiles, and anti-ship mines, but he also said that the US should keep accelerating arms shipments to Taiwan, according to Defense One.

China calls on US to stop military action in Taiwan 

Last month, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson Tan Kefei said that China demands that the US stop selling arms to Taiwan and end military contact with the island. "China demands that the United States stop selling arms to Taiwan and military contacts with Taipei, stop interfering in the Taiwan issue and aggravate tensions in the Taiwan Strait," Tan said.

US-made F-16 fighter jets and equipment worth more than $600 million are included in an approved deal that Washington will sell to Taiwan. "China strongly opposes the arms sale to Taiwan by the United States. US actions are a gross interference in China's internal affairs, seriously violate the 'one China' principle and the provisions of the three joint US-Chinese communiques, cause serious damage to China's sovereignty and security interests, and pose a serious threat to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait," Tan stated.

The official warned that the Chinese military is prepared to safeguard its national sovereignty. 

Read next: China says no force can stand in the way of reunification with Taiwan