US Army’s Maximum Pressure ‘in South China Sea’ Unprecedented ‘: Beijing Think Tank

The U.S. military has exerted “maximum pressure” on the South China Sea last year thanks to “unprecedented” deployments of naval and air forces into the area, a Chinese think tank said in its latest report.

Strategic weapons platforms, including carrier strike groups and amphibious readiness groups, have been longer than recent memory in the disputed waters, the South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative (SCSPI) said on Friday.

“The intensity, in terms of the extent, number and duration, of U.S. military activity in the region in 2020 has rarely been seen in recent years,” reads the 38-page report, which was released in both Chinese and English.

The Beijing-based think tank monitors military activities in the South China Sea, with a specific focus on US forces. This is the third consecutive year that he has published a report outlining the US presence in the region with information available.

Its director, Hu Bo, who also heads the Center for Maritime Strategy Studies – a think tank of the University of Beijing – wrote in a magazine article this month in which he said that the U.S. military’s persistent actions since the beginning of 2021 was a sign of Biden’s government. “insecurity.”

U.S. Navy and Air Force attack groups, strategic bombers and submarines for nuclear attacks were regularly seen in the high-energy sea last year, which, according to SCSPI, is an unprecedented deterrent against China.

China claims almost the entire South China Sea through major territorial declarations. Other plaintiffs include Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan and Brunei.

U.S. military activities in the area are being conducted in the name of legal freedom of navigation and overflight operations, both of which seek to challenge the seafaring demands in the area.

The Chinese think tank points to the USS strike groups Theodore Roosevelt, USS Nimitz a USS Ronald Reagan as striking examples of a strong U.S. military presence in the South China Sea last year.

USS Nimitz a USS Ronald Reagan conducted two double-carrier exercises in the region during the last year of the Trump administration, while USS Nimitz joined USS Theodore Roosevelt last month for another double-carrier exercise, this time under President Joe Biden.

U.S. Navy warships cover “extremely sensitive areas” during their navigation, including Chinese-controlled reefs in the Spratly Islands, the detailed report said.

A mix of civilian and military aircraft has been sent to the South China Sea for reconnaissance missions to monitor the Chinese military, SCSPI said, with activities similar to those of the People’s Liberation Army.

According to the institute, in 2020, American spy planes flew nearly 1,000 reconnaissance missions into the waters. The U.S. Air Force bombers flew 17 missions, including to “simulate bombing of the Spratly Islands,” he claimed.

SCSPI said the data suggested the U.S. was “increasing its military readiness for war” while devising ways to counter the denial capabilities of Chinese territories.

The report said that the southwestern corner of Taiwan – an entrance to the South China Sea from the Western Pacific – was an area that was “primarily focused” on the military rivalry between China and the United States.

The U.S. Navy reported warships that crossed the Taiwan Strait 13 times in 2020. According to SCSPI, the figure is higher than any twelve-month period in the last 14 years.

The ‘frequency and intensity’ of the navy’s voyage through the narrow channel between China and Taiwan has led to ‘increasing potential military risks’, the brainstorm said.

The report concluded: ‘In 2020, the US military exerted maximum pressure in the South China Sea through a series of intensive movements, such as the implementation of various strategic weapons platforms to the region, which are regularly near China’s stationed islands and reefs work and go through the Strait of Taiwan. , in an effort to unleash its military might and deter China. ‘

SCSPI claims that the United States is losing its military dominance in the Western Pacific due to the effective countermeasures of China. But as Washington draws more attention to the Indo-Pacific, the research institute predicted that similar U.S. military activities would continue under President Biden – this time with the involvement of more regional allies and partners.