In a highly aggressive editorial on Thursday, Chinese state media taunted the U.S. with nuclear weapons, threatened U.S. aircraft carriers, and called for preparations to invade Taiwan. The editorial reflects growing Chinese nationalist fury in the face of Trump administration pressure.
Offered up by the Global Times newspaper, a mouthpiece for the hard nationalists, the editorial didn’t pull any punches. To consider what it means for the U.S., let’s consider each element in turn. First up, the nuclear taunt:
This is a not-so-subtle signal that the Dongfeng-41 will be shown in public at a military parade later this year. But note the “trump card” language. A personal rebuke of President Trump, it’s a sign of Beijing’s growing frustration that the president won’t accept an easy deal to end the current U.S.-China trade war. But back to the nuclear weapon issue. While the Dongfeng-41 is an impressive nuclear intercontinental ballistic missile platform, it will not fundamentally alter the nuclear balance of power against the U.S. Instead, the mobile system is designed to strengthen China’s ability to threaten the U.S. up the escalation curve. In tandem with other capabilities in cyberspace, in space, and with conventional long-range missiles, China is showing it intends to pose a growing threat across the spectrum of warfare. The U.S. must pursue and posture greater capability to deter China.
Next up is the Global Times’ aircraft carrier threat.
This is not terribly surprising. China has a powerful conventional ballistic missile capability across short, medium, and long ranges. It is also developing hypersonic missiles of the kind recently mastered by Russia. The import of these threats is in restricting where and how the U.S. Navy can operate aircraft carriers. But what’s most interesting here is the specific Chinese focus on “making [Washington]” upset.” This reflects a Chinese nudge into the ongoing U.S. debate over whether it would ever attempt to destroy a U.S. aircraft carrier in battle. Some believe that China would not do so in fear of meeting a massive U.S. response. I’m less sure about that.
That leaves us with the threat to Taiwan.
Note the absurd Orwellian-language here: “[T]o promote peaceful reunification,” carry out attack preparations. It sums up the nature of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s regime. Still, Xi views the subjugation of Taiwan to Chinese rule as of paramount importance to his legacy. And the Chinese president is certainly making increased references to what he says is Taiwan’s inevitable return to Beijing. Yet, in the context of next year’s 70th anniversary of China’s capture of Hainan Island from the nationalists, and Taiwan’s upcoming 2020 general election, China’s military threats to Taiwan must take on more attention.
Ultimately, this editorial is another warning for the U.S. — a warning that challenging China’s island imperialism and its feudal economic strategy is only going to become more complicated. And while growing allied support for U.S. actions in the Indo-Pacific are positive, in the end, China will only be deterred by America. We must seek a more constructive relationship and resist China’s defining challenge.
