American officials see China as the top threat to the United States with regard to the economy, cybersecurity and military. President Joe Biden warned on Tuesday that cybersecurity attacks could lead to physical confrontations with a country and said standing up to China requires the U.S. to maintain pace without unnecessarily increasing hostilities.
The Times editorial board attributed Biden’s remarks that a significant cyberattack could lead to a “real shooting war” to a “threat of war against China and Russia.” To prepare for such a war, the board said China needs to ramp up its defense so that it “deprives” the U.S. of its confidence that it could defeat China in a contest in the Taiwan Straits or the South China Sea.
Both areas have become flashpoints for a potential conflict, as China sees any foreign involvement in the area as an encroachment on its sovereignty. President Xi Jinping criticized the U.S. for fueling tensions by sending a warship through the Taiwan Straits that separate the island from mainland China. The U.S. pushed back on the criticism, calling the ship’s transit part of the country’s commitment to a “free and open Indo-Pacific.”
The Times acknowledged that the United States’ Navy’s advantage will “surely persist for some time.” In that time, China must “not only catch up” with America’s prowess but strengthen its military capabilities so that its missiles can “strike large U.S. battleships” during a war in the South China Sea.
“We can massively expand this force so that if the U.S. provokes a military confrontation in the South China Sea, all of its large ships there will be targeted by land-based missiles at the same time,” the Times wrote.
Along with enhancing its missiles, the Times editorial board wrote that China needs to increase its military to the point that it can “immediately eliminate” U.S. forces in the South China Sea and in nearby facilities.
On the 100th anniversary of the creation of the Chinese Communist Party, President Xi Jinping advocated for the acceleration of the modernization of China’s national defense. He called having a strong military the only means a country has of guaranteeing its security and warned that foreign forces that attempt to bully China will “get their heads bashed.”
Having gotten to know Xi during his time as vice president, Biden said on Tuesday that the Chinese leader is “deadly earnest about becoming the most powerful military force in the world.”
China’s been building up its nuclear arsenal, a move the Times advocated for in a previous op-ed. It’s “concerning” to the United States and State Department spokesperson Ned Price said it raised questions about China’s intent.
The Times denied China sought to engage in an “all-out arms race” with the U.S., but reiterated that the military needs to be at the point that it’s known China can “outcompete” the U.S.
“We need to convince the world in the near future that China is not going to provoke the U.S., but if the U.S. comes to fight China in the Taiwan Straits or in the South China Sea, the PLA will have sufficient capacity to beat the hell out of them,” the Times wrote.
