Xi Jinping's Army Lacks 'Experience, Background' For Battle, Says Top US General: 'War On Paper Is Whole Lot Different Than Real War'

A senior U.S. general said that if Xi Jinping-led China decided to attack Taiwan, it would be a “debacle” for the Chinese military.

What Happened: The Chinese army doesn’t "have the experience, the background to do it," General Mark Milley said at a press conference, adding that they haven't fought in combat since fighting the Vietnamese in 1979. 

See Also: As Biden, Xi Jinping Meet At G20 Summit, Many US Citizens, Targeted By ‘Exit Ban,’ Remain Stuck In China For Years

"War on paper is a whole lot different than real war. And when blood is spilled, and people die, and real tanks are being blown up, things are a little bit different. There’s a lot of friction and fog and death in combat," he said. 

He added that China hasn't "trained" their men for it and "They do piece-part training. We watch it very, very closely."

According to Milley, attacking the island nation would be a “strategic mistake” by Xi on par with Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine.

Meanwhile, during their meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit, the Chinese leader had warned his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden not to cross Beijing’s “red line” on Taiwan.

“The Taiwan question is at the very core of China’s core interests, the bedrock of the political foundation of China-U.S. relations, and the first red line that must not be crossed in China-U.S. relations,” Xi told Biden.

Check out more of Benzinga’s Europe and Asia coverage by following this link.