China Goes Ballistic: Asymmetrical Warfare and the New Arms Race

Chinese DF-21 Anti-Ship Missiles and Launchers

The arms race is today a term that is typically relegated to the bygone era of US-Soviet strategic relations. Now however, the US faces a new and more serious threat than Soviet nuclear warheads: Chinese anti-ship ballistic missiles (ASBMs). Since the 1987 Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty between the US and Russia which called for the “destruction of...ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges of between 500 and 5,500 kilometers,” the Chinese have greatly improved their ballistic missile technology which now boasts greater range, accuracy, and firepower than their United States counterparts. In light of the US’ increased interest in the regional stability of what China considers to be its backyard, these developments are a major shift in the political-military landscape of Southeast Asia.

The strategic question of ASBMs really came up when the US Navy introduced its long term shipbuilding plan which includes two modernized supercarriers to add to its fleet of already ten. Given that a single Chinese YJ-12 cruise missiles launched from several thousand miles away could totally debilitate a multi-billion dollar aircraft carrier, the United States considers the PLA a legitimate threat to its armed forces. According to the Pentagon's latest annual report “the new missile provides an increased threat to naval assets, due to its long range and supersonic speeds.” The missile also ”has a range of 400 Kilometers, making it one of the longest-ranged ASCMs ever fielded.”

In the past, the US has been able to use it’s overwhelming naval force to openly express opposition, most notably during the Taiwan Strait Crisis in 1995. This was also the case in Syria where the threat of naval based missile strikes forced president Assad to relinquish his chemical weapons stockpile. Strategically, the credibility of American threat is an invaluable tool in maintaining global peace. However, new and radical advancements in ballistic missile technology have put naval deployment forces at a significant disadvantage overall against land-based first strikes to which they would be unable to respond. This poses a direct threat to any American staging of operations in the Pacific–whether it be against North Korea, Russia, or any other governments supported by China.

The proliferation of advanced ASBMs–especially in the middle east where naval staging has played a key role in both Iraq wars–are of great concern now that the United States has commenced an airstrike campaign in Syria. Future naval operations in the Persian Gulf are at serious risk if these weapons proliferate to the regimes in Syria or Iran. “Blazing the Trail” as author Mike Gruntman describes it in his elaborate history of Dong Feng: Chinese Ballistic Missiles, shows that with its technological supremacy, China is steadily increasing its status as a significant international actor. With this increased role, China has forged its own international sphere–distinct from America’s–and have managed to attract a number of countries to their newfound bloc.

USS Nimitz 

China’s buildup of ballistic missiles is heavily rooted in the idea of Chinese nationalism. Falling back on the concepts of anti-imperialism and the Chinese right to defend itself, the Chinese media has acted openly hostile to the West and intimidated them with their ever increasing military ability. China’s state run news agency claims a type of "exclusive knowledge" in which the Chinese government knows how to defend its people absolutely. They raise moral by appealing to the identity of the Chinese people as one cohesive unit, when in reality China is a multiethnic state. By doing this, they are able to maintain their monopoly on legitimate violence and state persecution.

This rapid advancement of technology leaves the US uncertain about its future in the Pacific, a region its navy had virtually conquered by 1948. China and the US are struggling to meet an understanding on how to effectively co-exist in global politics, and the introduction of these anti-ship missiles only further complicates that.

#ChinaInTheWorld

Miles Bierylo, Corey Norell, Luca Difronzo, Sophie DeSantis, Kevin H., & Imani S.

Reference:

Kan, Shirley. China and Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction and Missiles: Policy Issues. New York: Nova Science, 2010. Web.

Lewis, Paul. "Obama Welcomes Syria Chemical Weapons Deal but Retains Strikes Option." The Guardian. N.p., 14 Sept. 2013. Web. 

"US Role." BBC News. BBC, 1996. Web. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/asia_pac/04/taiwan_flashpoint/html/us_role.stm>.

Eaglen, Mackenzie. "The U.S. Navy Shipbuilding Plan: Assumptions and Associated Risks to National Security."Http://armedservices.house.gov/. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://armedservices.house.gov/index.cfm/files/serve?File_id=62543f0c-4607-44c3-adfa-84d094f4b29f>.

Thompson, Mark. "In China’s Sights A New Missile Threatens the U.S. Navy’s Biggest Warships—and Stability in the Pacific." Time.com. Time Magazine, 18 July 2014. Web.

O'Rourke, Ronald. "China Naval Modernization: Implications for U.S. Navy Capabilities—Background and Issues for Congress." Http://fas.org/. N.p., 8 Sept. 2014. Web. <http://fas.org/sgp/crs/row/RL33153.pdf>.