Army secretary predicts China will attack US homeland if 'major war' breaks out

U.S. Army Secretary Christine Wormuth predicted that if China got into a "major war" with the U.S. the Communist-led country would attack the American homeland.

"The United States homeland would be at risk as well with both kinetic attacks and non-kinetic attacks – whether it's cyberattacks on the power grid or on pipelines," Wormuth said Monday at the American Enterprise Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank.

Kinetic military action is a euphemism for active warfare, including the use of lethal force, according to Politico. Non-kinetic action includes soft force such as diplomacy and cyberspace operations.

Wormuth also said the Chinese attacks would be used to lower U.S. morale.

"They are going to go after the will of the United States public," she said. "They're going to try to erode support for a conflict." 

China-U.S. relations appear to be further deteriorating amid recent concerns about the Chinese Communist Party spying on North America with at least one surveillance balloon and its possible military support of Russia in its war on Ukraine.