China’s military received instructions to prepare for an invasion of Taiwan by 2027, CIA Director William Burns revealed Thursday.

“We know as a matter of intelligence he has instructed the People’s Liberation Army to be ready by 2027 to conduct a successful invasion,” Burns said in Fox News. The CIA chief made the remark at a Georgetown University event Thursday, where he warned listeners not to “underestimate President Xi’s ambitions with regard to Taiwan.” (RELATED: China Denies Balloon Mysteriously Flying Over US Military Sites Is For Spying)

A recent prediction shared by US Air Force General Mike Minihan has the U.S. face-to-face with China in 2025, according to a memo distributed to subordinates on January 27. The four-star general instructed officers to undertake preparations for the likelihood of war with China.

The newly shared intelligence doesn’t indicate the certainty of a Chinese invasion, but serves as a reminder of Xi Jinping’s “focus and ambition,” Burns stated, according to Reuters. China’s leader is believed to be watching the invasion of Ukraine closely and drawing lessons from the Russian military’s “very poor performance,” Burns said.

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