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China, US Rivalry Ramps Up at Sea

John Xie

   The'¯Chinese military exercises in the disputed waters of the South
   China Sea are aimed at testing the Biden administration's China policy,
   according to defense experts.

   The three-day event that began Wednesday comes days after the U.S. sent
   an aircraft carrier group to the [1]contested maritime area to "conduct
   routine operations and promote freedom of the seas," according to a
   [2]statement by the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.

   Timothy Heath, a defense expert at the Rand Corporation, a think tank,
   told VOA Mandarin that Beijing is sending an early signal to the
   administration of President Joe Biden, who was sworn into office on
   January 20.

   "This seems part of a broader effort for China to signal its
   determination to maintain or escalate confrontational policies if that
   is what Biden wants," he said.

   A growing Chinese navy

   The Chinese navy has grown rapidly in recent years and is breaking the
   balance of military power in the Western Pacific region.

   According to an [3]annual review of Chinese military power by the U.S.
   Department of Defense (DoD),'¯China has achieved parity with -- or even
   exceeded -- the United States in several military'¯modernization areas.

References

   1. https://projects.voanews.com/south-china-sea/
   2. https://www.pacom.mil/Media/News/News-Article-View/Article/2480931/theodore-roosevelt-carrier-strike-group-enters-south-china-sea/
   3. https://media.defense.gov/2020/Sep/01/2002488689/-1/-1/1/2020-DOD-CHINA-MILITARY-POWER-REPORT-FINAL.PDF

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