The Pentagon has warned that US maritime forces are to become more forceful in responding to acts of aggression, expansionism and breaches of international law, citing Beijing in particular, which has been criticized for its expansionist ambitions in the South China Sea.
A new report signed by the heads of the US Marine Corps, US Navy and US Coast Guard said that the “rules-based international order is once again under assault,” and the security environment had dramatically changed since 2015.
The report said that China and Russia were now “determined rivals” of the US, with China presenting “the most pressing long-term strategic threat.”
Photo: EPA-EFE
“China is the only rival with the combined economic and military potential to present a long-term, comprehensive challenge to the US,” the report said. “It seeks to corrode international maritime governance, deny access to traditional logistical hubs, inhibit freedom of the seas, control use of key chokepoints, deter our engagement in regional disputes, and displace the United States as the preferred partner in countries around the world.”
China is in the midst of a rapid modernization and expansion of its military power. Its naval force is the world’s largest, more than tripling in size over the past two decades.
It has embarked on aggressive expansionism in the South and East China seas, with frequent military drills, and in the Taiwan Strait, with near daily incursions into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone.
In response, the US has increased its naval activity in the region and enacted sanctions against China.
“Our globally deployed naval forces interact with Chinese and Russian warships and aircraft daily,” the report said, noting their “growing aggressiveness” and calling China “the most pressing, long-term strategic threat.”
The latest incident between US and Chinese naval forces took place in late August, when Beijing said it had driven a US warship from the Paracel Islands (Xisha Islands, 西沙群島), which are also claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam.
To counter China, the US has been sending ships to the region more frequently to carry out what it calls “freedom of navigation” operations.
The Pentagon report said that in the event of a conflict, China and Russia would likely attempt to seize territory before the US and its allies could effectively respond.
To maintain strategic advantage over the Chinese navy, the US plans to modernize its naval force with smaller, more agile, and even remotely piloted, ships.
US ships would also “accept calculated tactical risks and adopt a more assertive posture in our day-to-day operations,” the report said.
The report accused Russia and China of employing all instruments of power to undermine the international system and remake it in their own interests, in part by incrementally conducting “a variety of malign activities” to not trigger a military response.
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