It may not be of much military significance that China has deployed the 44th Naval Escort TaskForce for “routine operations” in the Middle East in the face of rising local tensions between Israel and Hamas, but strategically speaking Beijing has sent a resounding message.
Historical Developments
The fact that China’s move last week came shortly after the U.S. sent a powerful armada to the Middle East is seen by the U.S. strategic elite to mean something troubling for the United States: China poses existential challenges to American power, challenges more dangerous than those posed by Russia.
Two major reports were submitted to the US Congress last week suggesting that China is continuing its efforts to upend the world order by building a formidable military force that is growing in strength.
The report submitted by the US Department of Defense (one of two reports) is based on the assumption that China is the only enemy of the US with the intent and power to reshape the world order.
This report speaks to the continued modernization and development of China’s military capabilities in all areas, including nuclear, space and cyber. The report estimates that the Chinese will have more than 500 operational nuclear warheads by May 2023.
At the same time, China is developing new intercontinental ballistic missiles, which may also be conventionally armed. If they are designed and adopted by the country’s military, the capabilities the Chinese military will acquire will be unprecedented for Beijing, as it will now be able to threaten targets in the interior of the United States, Hawaii and Alaska with conventional strikes.
Additionally, both reports seem to conclude that the Chinese navy is an unsurpassed naval force in the territorial waters near China, as well as in the wider western Pacific, Indian Ocean and waters around Europe.
The US Pentagon report points out that the Chinese armed forces currently have the world’s largest navy in terms of operational units with a total strength of more than 370 warships and submarines, including more than 40 major surface vessels.
As a result, particular concerns prevail in the United States since Beijing has one ultimate goal: to dethrone the US as the world’s strongest military power and then overthrow the US-centric world order.
