WASHINGTON: China’s military might is growing at such a pace that it couldsoon rival American power “across almost every domain,” a top US militaryofficial said Wednesday.
Admiral Harry Harris, who heads up the military’s enormous Pacific Command(PACOM), warned lawmakers they must be wary of Beijing’s investments intraditional assets as well as its development of a new wave of technologiessuch as hypersonic missiles and artificial intelligence.
“China’s impressive military buildup could soon challenge the United Stateslink> across almostevery domain,” Harris told the House Armed Services Committee.
“Key advancements include fielding significant improvements in missilesystems, developing fifth-generation fighter aircraft capabilities, andgrowing the size and capability of the Chinese navy to include their firstoverseas base in the port of Djibouti.”
He added: “If the US does not keep pace, PACOM will struggle to competewith the People’s Liberation Army on future battlefields.”
The admiral stressed that China’s One Belt One Roadlink> (OBOR) initiative isnot as benign as it is made out to be and, in fact, all global chokepointsare currently under pressure from it.
“One Belt One Road is much more than just an economic engine that China isundertaking. It is a concerted, strategic endeavour by China to gain afoothold and displace the United States and our allies and partners in theIndo-Pacific region,” he said.
One needs to look at the bases and places where China is putting itsemphasis to see the realisation of this, he said. “They are in a positiontoday to influence the shipping routes in the Strait of Hormuz, in the Gulfof Aden, the Red Sea which means the Suez Canal, and also in our hemispherein the Panama Canal,” he said.
“Also, finally in the Strait of Malacca, all those global chokepoints areunder pressure from China’s One Belt One Road initiative,” Harris said.
Notably, India was the first country to object to OBOR, part of whichpasses through the Pak-Occupied Kashmir. India has said that the ChinaPakistan Economic Corridor (CPEClink>)violates India’s sovereignty. Last year India had skipped China’s OBORsummit.
Following India’s objections, many countries including the United Stateshave come out openly against China’s OBOR.
Touted as Chinese President Xi Jinpinglink>’s ambitious project,the One Belt One Road initiative focuses on improving connectivity andcooperation among Asian countries, Africa, China and Europe. – Agencies