According to a report by the Global Times, Japan's Nikkei Asian Review quoted a statement by the US military as saying that the United States plans to deploy land-based medium-range missiles in the Indo-Pacific region in 2024. A spokesman for the U.S. Army Pacific told Japan** that the U.S. military is considering deploying a range of between 500 and 2,700 kilometers, but did not specify where and when it will be deployed. Analysts point out that the U.S. military may choose ** as the location of deployment. However, Japan and the Philippines have a negative attitude towards the deployment of intermediate-range missiles on their territory, fearing repercussions in wartime. U.S. Army Pacific Army Commander Flynn revealed last month plans to deploy land-based intermediate-range missiles in the Asia-Pacific region next year, aimed at deterring Chinese mainland's actions against Taiwan. In 2019, the INF Treaty expired, and the global military confrontation intensified. If the United States deploys medium-range missiles next year, it will be the first such action since 2019 and will also provoke a counterattack from China and Russia. Wu Qian, a spokesman for China's Ministry of National Defense, said earlier that the United States would face Chinese countermeasures if it deployed intermediate-range missiles in the region. Due to their proximity, land-based medium-range missiles are more difficult to intercept than ICBMs, almost equivalent to firing at close range.
The purpose of the INF Treaty was to prevent the competition between the United States and the Soviet Union from getting out of control, and the intermediate-range missile became to a certain extent a symbol of the arms race and geopolitical expansion. After the INF treaty expires, if the United States deploys intermediate-range missiles in ** and other places next year, the military confrontation between China and the United States will enter a new stage. It also marks the intention of the United States to start a new round of the arms race, with the difference that the previous competitor was the Soviet Union, while the current competitor is China. The arms race is essentially a long-term drain on national resources. This kind of competition naturally favors the cheaper, more efficient, and larger side of production. Considering the current industrial scale and cost situation between China and the United States, once the United States initiates the Sino-American arms race by deploying medium-range missiles, it will have a huge impact on China. The U.S. move to threaten China will have a negative impact on the U.S. itself, accelerating the depletion of its national strength and the decline of its national status. Historically, the intensification of the arms race between the United States and the Soviet Union led to the Cuban Missile Crisis, and if the United States continued to deploy intermediate-range missiles around China, it could trigger a similar crisis. China has always been committed to peaceful development and mutual benefit, but this does not mean that it will stand still when the international situation changes.
If the United States continues to use a threatening posture to obstruct China's reunification and directly threaten China's economic center of gravity, then the United States should also be prepared to face the same security threats. At present, China's cooperation with Cuba, Honduras, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Brazil and other Latin American countries is deepening day by day, and it has established all-weather relations with Venezuela. If the situation deteriorates, China may expand its security cooperation with relevant countries. At the same time, the United States has stepped up its military presence in the Pacific, amassed forces in South Korea and escalated military confrontation in East Asia. In addition, the United States has also sent urban warfare to Taiwan, China, and expanded military deployments in the Philippines, Australia, and other places, as well as expanded bases in Hawaii and China, and increased joint land-sea exercises in the western Pacific. These moves underscore the U.S. strategy of militarizing geopolitical positions. China's rise has raised some concerns in the international community. Some fear that China will strengthen its military presence in the western Pacific and South China Seas, triggering more geopolitical tensions. However, the United States and other countries should understand that the geopolitical game has its limits. There should be a bottom line in the competition between the great powers. If the United States strengthens its military presence around China, it will force China to seek the same means of deterrence.
The United States should not maintain its own security at the expense of the security of China or other countries. If the United States insists on doing so, China has the right to unite other countries against this culprit.