Due to tensions in the Middle East, the United States sent three aircraft carriers to the Asia-Pacific region. The Carl Vinson and Roosevelt-class battle clusters of the United States and the Japanese aircraft carrier Ise-class aircraft carriers held a four-day joint military training in Philippine waters, the U.S. Naval Academy said on January 31.
Counting the rest of the Reagan-class aircraft carriers at the Yokosuka base, the United States has already committed three aircraft carriers to the Asia-Pacific region.
In response to this incident, Taiwan's China Times News Network published "Three US Aircraft Carriers Gather in Asia, Fist Aimed at Beijing", saying that this is the first time in two years that the United States has sent three aircraft carriers at the same time on the first archipelago between Okinawa, Taiwan and the Philippines.
Why is the United States rallying three aircraft carriers to the Asia-Pacific region at this time? Let's not forget that the United States now has only 4 aircraft carriers, Ford was sent to the Middle East, and the remaining three aircraft carriers were sent to the Asia-Pacific region.
In recent times, the Asia-Pacific region has become more unstable due to tensions over Taiwan**, tensions in the South China Sea and tensions on the Korean Peninsula. The United States is a global superpower that is committed to maintaining stability in the Asia-Pacific region and has its troops stationed in the region, so it must build up its military presence in the region at this time.
In recent years, China has made remarkable achievements in the fields of China's affairs, economy, and diplomacy, and has become the focus of world attention. Beijing and Washington have sharply divergent attitudes toward the South China Sea and Taiwan, and the United States sees China as its primary strategic competitor.
Therefore, the United States is increasing its military strength in the Asia-Pacific region at this time, mainly with the aim of demonstrating its military strength against China.
However, as the United States pointed out, this type of military operation is not as easy for China as it used to be. In fact, the exercise provided an excellent opportunity for Chinese reconnaissance ships to gather U.S. intelligence and conduct anti-carrier combat exercises.
During the latest joint U.S.-Japan military exercise, a Chinese reconnaissance boat approached the aircraft carrier Carl Vinson.
It is said that the patrol ship sailed 8 to 16 kilometers away, apparently for the purpose of collecting combat information and troops from the United States and Japan. Against this backdrop, the true deterrent effect of the US-Japan joint military exercises is doubtful, given that China is not threatened, but rather has used it to strengthen its military preparedness.
One negative side of this strategy is that China has an opportunity to understand and adjust the US strategy. By closely monitoring the U.S.-Japan joint military exercises, China is not only able to better understand the U.S. Navy's combat methods and tactics, but also to test and improve its own anti-ship warfare strategies.
China's rapid rise in recent years has been accompanied by a growing influence in the international oceans. Especially since 2016, China's military strength can be described as a "leap", with significant improvements and breakthroughs every year.
In 2016, two U.S. aircraft carriers suddenly intruded into the South China Sea, causing China's high attention and vigilance, and at one point reached the point of imminent eruption, almost leading to the outbreak of war between China and the United States. The stalemate is seen as the most likely major war between China and the United States this century.
Eight years have passed, and everything has changed. China's rapidly growing navy, especially the construction and deployment of its high-level ships, has dramatically changed the military power balance between China and the United States. Among them, the addition of the 055 (big drive) will form a powerful formation with China's self-developed aircraft carriers and enhance the ocean-going combat effectiveness of the PLA.
If the United States had sent two more aircraft carriers to the South China Sea today, the exercise would have not worried China and would not pose a threat to China. China has the strength and possibility to send 055 frigates into U.S. waters with its aircraft carrier combat formation to conduct "counter-deterrence" operations.
China's rapid growth, particularly with its aircraft carrier strike force and advanced ships, has dramatically changed the power gap between China and the United States in the South China Sea and beyond. Under such a new model of balance of power in the seas, it will become more difficult for the US Navy to "scare China," and it is not enough to rely on the flaunting of force.
The maritime confrontation and interaction between China and the United States will become more complex, requiring the two sides of the strait to shift from unilateral use of force and containment to more reliance on dialogue and cooperation.