TOKYO (AP) – Japan raised strong caution against China’s rapid acceleration of military activity in extensive areas from its southwestern coasts to the Pacific, describing the moves as the biggest strategic challenge.
Continue reading “Japan Warns of China’s Military Moves as Biggest Strategic Challenge”
By Ryan D. Martinson
While much of the international attention on China’s naval buildup is focused on its rapidly modernizing surface fleet, the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) is also taking bold steps to field a first-rate submarine force. By the end of this year, the service could have as many as 25 Yuan-class submarines, which are among the world’s most advanced diesel-electric boats. Its small-but-growing fleet of nuclear-powered attack (SSN), guided missile (SSGN), and ballistic missile (SSBN) submarines has achieved major technological upgrades, and with the benefit of a massive production facility in Huludao, may be on the cusp of significant expansion.
Continue reading “Exposed Undersea: PLA Navy Officer Reflections on China’s Not-So-Silent Service”For more than a decade, American defense and foreign policy leaders have declared China the top long-term competitor — what the Pentagon refers to as the “pacing threat” — and the Indo-Pacific the priority theater. From the Obama-era “Pivot to Asia” to the Trump and Biden administrations’ strategic guidance, the message has been consistent: the future of U.S. power projection, deterrence, and economic competition hinges on our presence in the Pacific. But each time the Middle East ignites, that focus slips — and China quietly gains ground.
Continue reading “Losing the Long Game: China Advances As U.S. Refocuses on the Middle East”
In a recent speech at the 2025 Shangri-la Dialogue, US Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, told the audience that China’s attempt to conquer Taiwan by force “could be imminent.” The possibility of such a rapid escalation stems from China’s increased military activity around Taiwan, which has made distinguishing exercises from true military action nearly impossible. According to Admiral Samuel Paparo, the commander of US Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM), Chinese military pressure on Taiwan has reached a “rapid boil.” How rapid? In his April testimony before the Congressional Armed Services Committees, Paparo said there has been a 300 percent annual increase in Chinese military pressure against Taiwan. He later noted that the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is “stretching their legs” to meet President Xi Jinping’s 2027 military readiness goal of being capable of taking Taiwan by force.
Continue reading “China Is Carrying Out ‘Dress Rehearsals’ To Take Taiwan. Here’s How The U.S. Should Respond.”
- America’s conflict with the Houthis gave the US Navy a taste of high-tempo air defense operations.
- The Navy is using the conflict to inform planning for future maritime wars, like a clash with China.
- One warship captain said a fight in the Pacific would be vastly different from the Red Sea battle.
The US Navy’s exhausting shootout with the Iran-backed Houthis has given American military planners a clearer view into the complexities of high-tempo air defense operations.
Continue reading “A US Navy warship captain said the Red Sea conflict was a ‘knife fight in a phone booth.’ China would be way more challenging.”
LONDON, May 16 (Reuters) – Earlier this month, U.S. Air Force Brigadier General Doug Wickert summoned nearby civic leaders to Edwards Air Force Base in California to warn them that if China attacks Taiwan in the coming years, they should be prepared for their immediate region to suffer potentially massive disruption from the very start.
Continue reading “US prepares for long war with China that might hit its bases, homeland: Peter Apps”
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