Meanwhile, tensions are escalating between China and the United States. Both countries are separately walking an increasingly complicated tightrope in their recent diplomatic overtures. This rivalry is in part driven by China’s desire to usurp the US as the world’s foremost economic superpower. At the same time, its growing military capabilities are raising alarm bells worldwide. Today, China’s navy is number one in the world by hull count, having overtaken the United States in 2016. Equally alarming, its military modernization includes futuristic hypersonic missiles and sophisticated fifth-generation warplanes.
China hopes to attain far more than military primacy. Unification of Taiwan under Beijing’s control is a core goal of the CCP leadership under President Xi Jinping. This ambition is expressed in an unequivocal policy that he’s enunciated with crystal clear and alarming clarity—his readiness to employ military force if that is what it takes. This position has major geopolitical repercussions. Taiwan’s status is one of the three main contentious issues between China and the United States, which maintains strategic but not official relations with Taipei.
During this time, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has greatly improved and advanced its capabilities. China has been the first to operationalize advanced weaponry, including Dong Feng missiles and explosive drone swarms. This intimidating defense web presents deep dangers for any U.S. naval craft trying to come inside its coastlines. The military buildup provides a more direct and powerful deterrent. The last thing China wants to do is open itself up to the United States through actions that threaten its power.
Perhaps most importantly for America’s interests, China’s influence reaches into regional conflicts as well. According to multiple reports, it has provided steady and critical support to Pakistan during times of heightened tensions with India. It has relocated satellites in orbit to provide real-time, actionable intelligence. Such actions underscore China’s strategic partnerships, which are pivotal in maintaining regional stability or instability, depending on one’s perspective.
The South China Sea is one of the most important remaining flashpoints in the U.S.-China relationship. China has a huge industrial fishing fleet in these waters that is protected by its coastguard and warships. Chinese forces routinely harass and intimidate foreign air and maritime traffic transiting through the area. China accuses these vessels of illegally trespassing in its territorial waters.
China’s nuclear buildup is perhaps the most pressing threat to global security today. Its nuclear weapons stockpile is undergoing the largest expansion in their history. Nonetheless, it remains far behind the United States and Russia in total nuclear warheads. China too has created a suite of ground-launched missiles that can target assets 10,000 miles away. This recent breakthrough brings the continental United States in range. This expansion of nuclear capabilities is accompanied by China’s objective to demonstrate itself as a power too dangerous to confront.
While all eyes are on this military aspect, China is doubling down on shoring up its economic advantages. It’s the only place that produces over 90% of the world’s advanced microchips, critical components powering technology across the world. This overwhelming dominance in semiconductor production vastly increases China’s leverage over international trade and technology partnerships.
These diplomatic efforts are indicative of a wider effort by China to soothe relations with their neighbors. It has especially created new avenues of dialogue with Vietnam. This decision comes after a heated bilateral relationship since their war in 1979. These types of maneuvers are a signal of a long-term strategic pivot into creating partnerships that may strengthen China’s influence in the region.