Steve Bannon: 'we're going to war in the South China Sea ... no doubt'
Only months ago US President Donald Trump’s chief strategist predicted military involvement in east Asia and the Middle East in Breitbart radio shows
The United States and China will fight a war within the next ten years over islands in the South China Sea, and “there’s no doubt about that”. At the same time, the US will be in another “major” war in the Middle East.
Those are the views – nine months ago at least – of one of the most powerful men in Donald Trump’s administration, Steve Bannon, the former head of far-right news website Breitbart who is now chief strategist at the White House.
While many in Trump’s team are outspoken critics of China, in radio shows Bannon hosted for Breitbart he makes plain the two largest threats to America: China and Islam.
“There’s no doubt about that. They’re taking their sandbars and making basically stationary aircraft carriers and putting missiles on those. They come here to the United States in front of our face – and you understand how important face is – and say it’s an ancient territorial sea.”
Listen: Steve Bannon on Breitbart News Daily, March 2016 (listen at 05:32)
China says nearly the entire South China Sea falls within its territory, with half a dozen other countries maintaining partially overlapping claims. China has built a series of artificial islands on reefs and rocks in attempt to bolster its position, complete with military-length airstrips and anti-aircraft weapons.
Watch: Trump’s top diplomat wants to deny Beijing access to South China Sea islands
Bannon is clearly wary of China’s growing clout in Asia and beyond, framing the relationship as entirely adversarial, predicting a global culture clash in the coming years.
Listen: Steve Bannon on Breitbart News Daily, February 2016 (listen at 05:58)
On the day Trump was inaugurated, China’s military warned that war between the two countries was a real possibility.
Aside from conflict between armies, Bannon repeatedly focused on his perception that Christianity around the world is under threat.
In one radio show, used to promote an article incorrectly claiming that a mosque had been built at the North Pole, Bannon focused heavily on China’s oppression of Christian groups.
“The one thing the Chinese fear more than America … they fear Christianity more than anything,” he said.
But China is not the only hotspot Bannon sees, and forecasts another ground war for American troops in the Middle East.
“But you know what, we’re in a war. We’re clearly going into, I think, a major shooting war in the Middle East again.”
He also branded Islam as “the most radical”religion in the world, and moved swiftly since entering the White House to enact policies hostile to Muslims. Some have called Trump’s central doctrine a “war on Islam” .