This is news that shocked the world!Yemen's Houthi rebels have an anti-ship ballistic missile and have successfully used it to hit merchant ships in the Red Sea. This is the first time in the history of mankind that an anti-ship ballistic missile has been used for an actual combat attack, and it is also a serious provocation against the US Navy. So, how did the Houthis get this advanced **?The U.S.** noted that the missiles were most likely supplied to the Houthis by China because of their apparent similarities to China's Dongfeng series of missiles. If this is true, then what are China's motives?Is it to support the Houthis in their struggle, or to combat US interests in the Middle East, or to test their own performance?These questions are worthy of our in-depth understanding.
How powerful are the Houthi anti-ship ballistic missiles?
According to the U.S. Command, Yemen's Houthi rebels launched two anti-ship ballistic missiles on December 18 and 23 respectively to attack targets in the international shipping lanes in the southern Red Sea. Among them, a missile hit a container ship called "Mediterranean Palace III", causing serious damage. The freighter is a giant ship, 400 meters long, 59 meters wide, and with a deadweight of 220,000 tons, which is equivalent to the size of two aircraft carriers. It is conceivable that if this missile hits a **, the consequences will be even more tragic.
This missile has similar technical characteristics to China's DF-21D and DF-26 anti-ship ballistic missiles, and is known as the "aircraft carrier killer".
Why does the US media think that these missiles are provided by China?
The United States** has repeatedly mentioned China's shadow when reporting on the Houthis' use of anti-ship ballistic missiles. They believe that the missiles were most likely supplied to the Houthis by China because of their clear similarities to China's Dongfeng series of missiles. The United States also cited the opinion of some experts that it is possible for China to transfer this kind of ** to the Houthis through Iran as a way to test its own ** performance, or to strike at US interests in the Middle East.
Is there any basis for this statement of the United States?Technically, there are some connections. Iran's "Conqueror-110" short-range ballistic missile is an improved version of China's B610 B611 foreign trade ballistic missile, which in turn is derived from China's DF-11 short-range ballistic missile. Thus, it can be argued that Iranian anti-ship ballistic missiles have a certain Chinese origin. However, this does not mean that China is the supplier of these missiles. Iran has its own missile development capabilities, and it is also possible that it has made its own improvements on the basis of China, or has acquired relevant technology from other countries. Moreover, there is still a big gap between China's Dongfeng-21D and Dongfeng-26 anti-ship ballistic missiles and Iran's "Persian Gulf-2" anti-ship ballistic missiles. China's anti-ship ballistic missiles have a longer range and higher accuracy, and need to rely on more advanced maritime situational awareness and guidance systems, rather than simple optoelectronic image seekers.
Politically, China's motives for supplying the Houthis with anti-ship ballistic missiles are also unclear. China has always advocated a peaceful settlement of the Yemen issue, supported the good offices efforts of the United Nations, and called on all parties to stop the conflict, resume dialogue and maintain regional peace and stability. There is no need for China to provide such advanced ** to the Houthis in order to support the Houthis' struggle or to strike at US interests in the Middle East, risking condemnation and sanctions from the international community. Moreover, there is no need for China to test its own ** performance through the Houthis, because China has enough space and conditions to conduct its own ** tests. Therefore, this statement by the United States is more like a speculation made out of nothing, or an attempt to deliberately smear China.
What impact does this have on Sino-US relations?
Although there is a lack of evidence for the claims of the United States, this incident still has a certain impact on Sino-US relations. First of all, this incident shows that US interests in the Middle East are seriously threatened, and US maritime hegemony is being challenged. The United States had to step up its military deployment in the Red Sea and form a joint fleet with the participation of 39 countries to protect the security of merchant ships. This will undoubtedly increase US military spending in the Middle East and will also intensify the confrontation between the US and Iran. Secondly, this incident has also exposed the backwardness of the United States in the field of anti-ship ballistic missiles, and the United States currently does not have the ability to effectively intercept anti-ship ballistic missiles, so it can only rely on its own shipborne air defense system and electronic warfare system to minimize losses. This has made the United States feel an unprecedented sense of crisis, and it has also made the United States even more afraid of China's anti-ship ballistic missiles.
The United States is likely to increase military pressure on China or seek dialogue with China to avoid conflict at sea. Finally, this incident has also affected the mutual trust between China and the United States. The accusations made by the United States make China feel dissatisfied and incomprehensible, believing that the United States is slandering China for no reason and trying to involve China in the chaos in the Middle East. China may refute the U.S. report, or take steps to prove its innocence or protect its interests.
What impact does this have on world peace?
This incident will not only have an impact on Sino-US relations, but also on world peace. First, it exacerbated Yemen's civil war and made the prospects for peace even more remote. The Houthis used anti-ship ballistic missiles to counter Yemen** and Saudi Arabia-led coalitions, as well as U.S. support. This use of ** made the coalition forces and the United States feel threatened, and also intensified their hostility. The coalition and the U.S. are likely to step up their strikes against the Houthis, or put more pressure on Iran to prevent the Houthis from gaining more **. In this way, the civil war in Yemen will become more intense, more complex and more difficult to resolve. Secondly, this incident has also aroused the concern of the international community, fearing that the proliferation of anti-ship ballistic missiles will pose a serious threat to global maritime security and **. An anti-ship ballistic missile is a very dangerous **, it can deliver a precise strike against any target at sea, whether it is a ** or a merchant ship, it is difficult to defend against. If this kind of ** falls into the hands of *** or other unstable countries or organizations, then the sea routes around the world will face huge risks, and the international ** and the economy will be seriously affected. Therefore, the international community needs to strengthen cooperation and formulate rules and measures to prevent the proliferation of anti-ship ballistic missiles and maintain peace and order at sea.
What should we do?
What should we do in the face of this?In my opinion, we should have the following suggestions:
First, we should uphold the principle of peace, oppose any form of violence and terrorism, call on all parties to stop using anti-ship ballistic missiles and other harmful acts against humanity, respect international law and international order, and resolve the civil war in Yemen and the crisis in the Middle East through dialogue and negotiation. Second, we should enhance our national defense capability, enhance our awareness of maritime security, strengthen our maritime monitoring and early warning system, and establish our own anti-missile system to prevent anti-ship ballistic missiles from causing harm to us and protect our national interests and sovereignty.
Third, we should strengthen cooperation with the international community, participate in international anti-ballistic missile treaties and mechanisms, jointly stop the proliferation of anti-ship ballistic missiles, jointly crack down on Chinese and other illegal traders, and jointly maintain peace and order at sea.
In short, the first time an anti-ship ballistic missile was put into real combat is a shocking event and an event worthy of our deep thought. We should be soberly aware of the harm of this kind of world, and we should also actively take some measures to deal with this kind of threat and make our contribution to world peace.