In an apparent attempt to take advantage of the world’s preoccupation with Russia’s war on Ukraine, China is steadily building up its naval presence and capabilities across the Pacific. And this build-up is significant.
It is also provoking tensions. Earlier this month, a Chinese J-20 stealth fighter had a close encounter with an America’s F-35 fighter over the East China Sea.
Experts believe China is aggressively moving to fill a void in Asia created by the war in Ukraine. Beijing similarly flexed its muscles in both the East China Sea and the South China Sea in 2020 while the world was distracted by the Wuhan coronavirus pandemic.
At that time, it held simultaneous drills in the East China Sea, the South China Sea and the Yellow Sea in July 2020, something rarely seen, and also test-firing ballistic missiles that summer.
During this current global distraction with Ukraine, China has fully militarized at least three of several artificial islands it built in the South China Sea, giving China new armed military outposts in the South China Sea, says Adm. John Aquilino, the U.S. Indo-Pacific commander. Nikkei Asia reports:
Construction has apparently been completed on missile arsenals, aircraft hangars and radar systems on the Mischief, Subi and Fiery Cross reefs, Aquilino said. These are the so-called “big three” reefs in the South China Sea. “The function of those islands is to expand the offensive capability of the PRC [People’s Republic of China] beyond their continental shores,” Aquilino said.
“They threaten all nations who operate in the vicinity and all the international sea and airspace,” he said.
China is clearly creating the capability to enforce its claims over virtually all of the South China Sea, even as the U.S. has called these claims bogus and illegal. A Hague international tribunal also denied these claims in 2016, but China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs dismissed the Hague decision as “trash.”
Beijing is also dramatically expanding its coast guard, which patrols both the East China Sea and the South China Sea and giving it much heavier firepower. According to a report in the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)-affiliated Global Times, the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) is transferring 20 Type 056 coastal defense corvettes, armed with rapid-fire guns and anti-aircraft missile systems, to the coast guard.
This is a particular concern to Japan.
Nikkei Asia reports:
“Their offensive capabilities are higher than those of Japan Coast Guard patrol vessels,” a Japanese government source said. “They are expected to be mainly deployed to the South China Sea, but pressure will also increase in the waters surrounding the Senkaku Islands.”
The Japan Coast Guard had 69 patrol ships of 1,000 tons or larger at the end of fiscal 2020, while China had 131 maritime law enforcement vessels of 1,000 tons or larger at the end of calendar 2020, according to the Japanese defense ministry. And the disparity is only likely to widen.
China is also becoming far more aggressive with its other smaller neighbors, including several “close distance maneuvering” incidents involving China Coast Guard vessels and ships of the Philippines Coast Guard since May 2021.
All this heightened Chinese naval activity while it increased its complaints of U.S. ‘interference’ in the region. On Monday, the Global Times claimed that the more than 100 large-scale American-led military exercises in the South China Sea area in 2021 were due to America’s fear over the narrowing gap in combat capabilities of U.S. forces with the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
And unfortunately, this is partly true. The U.S. and the West cannot take their eye off of China’s expansion and bullying in the Pacific, even as Vladimir Putin brutally ravages Ukraine in Europe.
The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of AmericanActionNews.com
Biden corruption, The disgraced biden clan, a story of personal family greed, disloyalty to America, lies with no honour, false oaths taken, complete hatred of American ways, our American ideals, with direction towards the destruction of America, with their American last policy. How can so much money be taken from Americas adversaries without our country’s positions being compromise or influenced by foreign dirty money? Time for full investigations, the guilty be put on trail, for any disloyalty taken, money falsely taken, lying to Congress, have them return too tax payor’s money received under illegal’s methods or dishonest ways. Those who have violated our country’s laws must be prosecuted, put in jail and made to return all money taken in from their dishonesty. Vote them out of office and keep them out, they are driven by personal greed only.
Braindead Biden, the Putz in Chief, is eating banana pudding in his basement, as the country goes to hell in a handbasket!
Biden is totally consumed with bowel and bladder control. Fortunately he’s doing just like his old boss, leading from behind. Now we’re at the mercy of European political leadership.
America is in danger. Wasn’t so with Trump in office
I totally agree.
Why should China have to “sneak in our Country’s backdoor”? It has an excellent representative in Biden and his policies.
LISTEN UP….Do NOT TRUST the CHINESE or RUSSIAN GOVTS or the FOREIGN TERRORISTS. THEY are PURE EVIL. RUTHLESS…MERCILESS. From SamuraiQueen. 🤔🤔🤔😥😥😥
Missionaries in the South China sea area were reporting the build u of man made islands in the South China sea to the State Department and CIA and Chi/Com Clinton ensured nothing was done.
If you believe Biden doesn’t know what Uncle Chin is doing, you need your head examine. Biden knows everything what Chin and Putin is doing. That is all I have to say.
China doesn’t need to sneak they already control our government, it’s right in front of everyone’s eyes🙄
Do you miss President Trump yet? We all should! This fascist communist socialist Marxist criminal nonsense is out of control. For real. This needs to be stopped at every avenue and agenda.