China’s naval power has grown by leaps and bounds in recent years. The latest sign? Live-fire naval exercises off the coasts of Australia, Vietnam and Taiwan.
In military terms the Chinese exercises do not “have much significance,” Su Tzu-yun, of Taiwan’s Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said to The New York Times. They do, however, function as “political signaling” to Pacific nations that “their future lies in accommodating Beijing,” said the Times. The exercises also come while “Washington is consumed with other matters,” including Ukraine, the Middle East and budget cuts at the Pentagon.
The naval drills are, in addition, “seen as a test” for President Donald Trump, said Bloomberg. The president’s “outreach to Russia, his ramped-up criticism of long-standing NATO allies and moves to raise tariffs” have raised questions about whether the United States will remain a “trusted security partner” to longtime allies. China is “testing the waters” to see how America will respond, said the Atlantic Council’s Wen-Ti Sung. If the United States is seen as indifferent, said James Char of Singapore’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, “it’s a win for China.”
What did the commentators say?
China’s maneuvers signal a “new era of sea power in the Southwest Pacific,” Anne-Marie Brady said at The Diplomat. They show that the People’s Liberation Army “could cut off the air and sea links between Australia and New Zealand at any time, with no warning.” China is creating a permanent military presence in the region and wants other powers — including the United States — “to know there is nothing they can do about it.” It is clear that “we have entered a dangerous new era.”
Beijing’s aggressiveness highlights “Australia’s vulnerability at the exact moment that the U.S. is demonstrating American unreliability,” Peter Hartcher said at The Sydney Morning Herald. Trump is treating allies harshly and making territorial claims on NATO allies like Canada. That’s the “ally upon which Australia has built its security.” That puts Australia in an uncomfortable position, suddenly knowing “how it feels to have a rival navy operating off your coastline.”
What next?
China said there was no reason to apologize to Australia for the drills, said The Guardian. The two countries are “friends, not foes or rivals,” said Xiao Qian, Beijing’s ambassador to Canberra. He added that “there is no need for Australia to feel concerned about the actions of the Chinese fleet.” Australia’s prime minister, Anthony Albanese, made clear there was plenty of concern. “We have protested,” he said.
In the meantime, China’s naval power continues to grow. Beijing is developing a “huge nuclear-powered aircraft carrier that would rival the biggest vessel in the American fleet,” said NBC News. Such developments do have America’s attention. The U.S. sees China as a “peer competitor,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said, and the Defense Department is “prioritizing deterring war with China in the Pacific.”