Is China Testing U.S. Resolve?

The past 12 months has highlighted China's growing threat to the U.S. As companies continue to invest in China and business booms, the Chinese military is testing the U.S. resolve. A close look at China's actions reveals a detailed, well thought-out and calculated policy of testing U.S. waters. From a very public perspective, they have our number. How will the U.S. respond?

China is stirring: why now?

In the last few weeks and months, two important new military capabilities were apparently demonstrated by China to show the US new - and some say troubling - Chinese military powers. First, in October 2006, a Chinese Song Class diesel electric submarine crept covertly to within five nautical miles of the USS Kitty Hawk, a US navy aircraft carrier.

This one act said to many naval observers two things: that China intends to patrol further than ever from its shores and that China now can effectively evade US navy anti-submarine warfare systems and place warships in a position to quickly eliminate the US navy’s capital ships.

Then on January 11, 2007, China launched a land-based rocket that intercepted and destroyed an old Chinese satellite. This one act indicated that China may have the early stages of a “space denial” weapon system for use against the US in a crisis or war.

Both incidents followed a period of decreased intelligence gathering by the US against China.
Military intelligence officials told us that the US Pacific Commander, Admiral William “Fox” Fallon, had restricted US intelligence-gathering activities against China, fearing that disclosure of the activities would upset relations with Beijing. Last week the White House announced that Admiral Fallon is now the President’s nominee to succeed General John Abazaid as the Commander of the Central Command.

China is “feeling out” the international response to many of its new initiatives. For many years the US Pentagon has asked that China become more open and forthcoming about its military plans and investments. Just recently, China has become more “transparent” about its military spending and its priorities.

In his annual threat assessment, Lt. Gen. Michael Maples, head of the Defense Intelligence Agency, told Congress on January 11: “Several countries continue to develop capabilities that have the potential to threaten US space assets, and some have already deployed systems with inherent anti-satellite capabilities, such as satellite-tracking laser range-finding devices and nuclear-armed ballistic missiles.”

On the same day, the Chinese destroyed an ageing weather satellite using what’s known as a kinetic-kill vehicle sent into space aboard a Chinese ballistic missile. Kinetic-kill vehicles were an integral part of President Reagan’s dream of protecting the US against ballistic missile attacks: a plan critics mocked and still do.

Another piece of troubling news from China: China’s military is delaying the US visit of its strategic nuclear forces commander despite a promise by Chinese President Hu Jintao last year that the general would hold talks with the US Strategic Command leader.