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New US military strategy seen as countering China
By Ni Tao |
January 7, 2012, Saturday
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Print Edition
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US President Barack Obama has unveiled a major plan to readjust its military presence in East Asia, in a new sign of what many media and military experts consider a counterweight to China's rise in the region.
The plan, outlined in a report titled "Sustaining US Global Leadership: Priorities for 21st Century Defense," was made public Thursday at a press briefing at the Pentagon.
While the report stressed that it is wise for the US military to jettison the decades-old principle of winning two wars simultaneously and instead pursue the capabilities to fight and win a large-scale conventional war, it notably shifts much more attention to East Asia.
This strategic repositioning is prompted by the fact that the US has been fiscally weighed down by the two prolonged wars it waged in Afghanistan and Iraq. The current US economic predicament has a lot to do with US abuse of its military power, People's Daily reported.
The new US strategic plan aims to reduce about US$489 billion in military spending over the course of 10 years. But it doesn't indicate a retreat of US forces from the world.
Li Shuisheng, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Military Science, told the People's Daily that the recent US military reshuffle will concentrate on trimming costs and improving key capabilities to perpetuate the US military's supremacy.
"More precisely speaking, even with a tighter budget, they cannot tolerate the idea that others will catch up and challenge them," said Li.
Although the report says the US military will wind down its presence in Europe, its role in East Asia will only be strengthened to "ensure the security and prosperity in the area," Xinhua news agency reported yesterday, adding that it will do so by cementing ties with traditional allies and expanding cooperation with emerging countries.
Fiscal pressure
Despite the fiscal pressure, the US army will maintain mobility to cope with all kinds of contingencies and military threats, Obama said in a speech at the Pentagon.
The report lists several key missions for the US army, including the mission to respond to so-called "anti-intervention challenge" - meaning that perceived enemies will try to hamper the US military's operations by employing asymmetric tactics and weaponry like electronic jamming, ballistic and cruise missiles and advanced air defense systems.
Though both People's Daily and Xinhua were mild in tone and didn't specifically mention a perceived enemy by name, a leading newspaper in Shanghai pointed out that the US plan is clearly targeting China as an imagined adversary.
Deterrence
Professor Zhuang Jianzhong of the Strategic Research Center at Shanghai Jiao Tong University was quoted in the Oriental Morning Post, published yesterday, as saying that the US planned buildup of military capabilities in East Asia is an attempt to enhance its deterrence to scare off challengers.
"The release of the military report will exacerbate the mutual mistrust already running deep between China and America," said Zhuang. But he noted that China "will not respond in kind, to join the arms race with America."
The Shanghai newspaper cited an unnamed US official as saying that the US should be capable of deterring, and if necessary, defeating any new "anti-intervention" measures, such as the diesel-powered attack submarine that China is developing and the anti-ship ballistic missiles it has already deployed.
The release of the report comes at a time when the US has already carried out a series of significant troop repositionings in Asia. It conducted war games with the Philippines and Vietnam last year, and pledged to station Marines in Australia.
Most Chinese military experts interviewed by the newspaper observed that the new report reflects the general assessment of China's military power.
"One year ago it was quite neutral, now with China's first aircraft carrier and other developments of advanced weaponry, the US has decided to assume precautionary posturing against it," said Zhuang of Shanghai Jiao Tong University.
In response to China's military prowess, the US will invest more in building up its capacity to launch precision strikes and airspace war, he said.
The plan, outlined in a report titled "Sustaining US Global Leadership: Priorities for 21st Century Defense," was made public Thursday at a press briefing at the Pentagon.
While the report stressed that it is wise for the US military to jettison the decades-old principle of winning two wars simultaneously and instead pursue the capabilities to fight and win a large-scale conventional war, it notably shifts much more attention to East Asia.
This strategic repositioning is prompted by the fact that the US has been fiscally weighed down by the two prolonged wars it waged in Afghanistan and Iraq. The current US economic predicament has a lot to do with US abuse of its military power, People's Daily reported.
The new US strategic plan aims to reduce about US$489 billion in military spending over the course of 10 years. But it doesn't indicate a retreat of US forces from the world.
Li Shuisheng, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Military Science, told the People's Daily that the recent US military reshuffle will concentrate on trimming costs and improving key capabilities to perpetuate the US military's supremacy.
"More precisely speaking, even with a tighter budget, they cannot tolerate the idea that others will catch up and challenge them," said Li.
Although the report says the US military will wind down its presence in Europe, its role in East Asia will only be strengthened to "ensure the security and prosperity in the area," Xinhua news agency reported yesterday, adding that it will do so by cementing ties with traditional allies and expanding cooperation with emerging countries.
Fiscal pressure
Despite the fiscal pressure, the US army will maintain mobility to cope with all kinds of contingencies and military threats, Obama said in a speech at the Pentagon.
The report lists several key missions for the US army, including the mission to respond to so-called "anti-intervention challenge" - meaning that perceived enemies will try to hamper the US military's operations by employing asymmetric tactics and weaponry like electronic jamming, ballistic and cruise missiles and advanced air defense systems.
Though both People's Daily and Xinhua were mild in tone and didn't specifically mention a perceived enemy by name, a leading newspaper in Shanghai pointed out that the US plan is clearly targeting China as an imagined adversary.
Deterrence
Professor Zhuang Jianzhong of the Strategic Research Center at Shanghai Jiao Tong University was quoted in the Oriental Morning Post, published yesterday, as saying that the US planned buildup of military capabilities in East Asia is an attempt to enhance its deterrence to scare off challengers.
"The release of the military report will exacerbate the mutual mistrust already running deep between China and America," said Zhuang. But he noted that China "will not respond in kind, to join the arms race with America."
The Shanghai newspaper cited an unnamed US official as saying that the US should be capable of deterring, and if necessary, defeating any new "anti-intervention" measures, such as the diesel-powered attack submarine that China is developing and the anti-ship ballistic missiles it has already deployed.
The release of the report comes at a time when the US has already carried out a series of significant troop repositionings in Asia. It conducted war games with the Philippines and Vietnam last year, and pledged to station Marines in Australia.
Most Chinese military experts interviewed by the newspaper observed that the new report reflects the general assessment of China's military power.
"One year ago it was quite neutral, now with China's first aircraft carrier and other developments of advanced weaponry, the US has decided to assume precautionary posturing against it," said Zhuang of Shanghai Jiao Tong University.
In response to China's military prowess, the US will invest more in building up its capacity to launch precision strikes and airspace war, he said.
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