New Delhi [India], April 22 (HBTV): China is intensifying pressure across diplomatic, economic, and military domains, while Chairman Xi Jinping continues to enhance the combat readiness of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in preparation for a prolonged “struggle,” warned Admiral Samuel Paparo, Commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM), during a testimony before the US House Armed Services Committee on April 10.
Paparo said, ‘China continues to pursue unprecedented military modernisation and increasingly aggressive behaviour that threatens the US homeland, our allies and our partners.’ He emphasised that China’s strategy combines military intimidation, cyber and cognitive warfare, and economic coercion.
Andrew Erickson, a professor at the US Naval War College, stated, ‘Nobody outside of China has a better view into developments of concern regarding China's armed forces than Admiral Sam Paparo.’ Paparo took charge of INDOPACOM on 3 May 2024 after previously leading the Pacific Fleet.
Highlighting China’s technological advancements, Paparo noted that Beijing is accelerating the development of artificial intelligence, hypersonic and advanced missiles, and space-based capabilities. ‘China is outpacing the US in testing not only these critical technologies but also technologies from across their military industrial base,’ he warned.
He also flagged China’s growing capabilities in chemical and biological weapons, its expanding nuclear arsenal, and maritime projection as threats to regional stability. Paparo stated that Beijing's military pressure on Taiwan surged by 300% in 2024, describing PLA activities near Taiwan as ‘dress rehearsals for forced unification.’
The Philippines has also seen increased aggression from China following President Bongbong Marcos’s resistance to Chinese encroachment, in contrast to his predecessor Rodrigo Duterte. Tensions escalated in the Yellow Sea after China installed a steel structure in a jointly managed maritime zone with South Korea near Socotra Rock, prompting a standoff between the countries’ coast guards.
These developments, according to analysts, mirror China’s salami-slicing tactics in the South China Sea, where it asserts territorial claims with maritime militias and incremental deployments. The indistinct boundaries between China’s military, law enforcement, and civilian sectors facilitate this pattern of escalation.
Paparo highlighted the strategic alliance among China, Russia, and North Korea, noting their cooperation in bolstering each other's weaknesses. ‘Russia's growing military cooperation with China, including joint exercises in the Pacific, adds another layer of complexity,’ he said.
China has also supported Russia’s war efforts in Ukraine by supplying 70% of machine tools and 90% of legacy computer chips, according to the Pentagon. In exchange, Russia is aiding China in technological domains such as submarine quieting.
Paparo stressed the importance of US alliances in the Indo-Pacific, stating, ‘A US network of allies and partners represents a tremendous asymmetric advantage.’ However, erratic US political leadership, especially under former President Donald Trump, has undermined confidence among allies. Southeast Asian countries, once receptive, have grown wary of Washington’s unpredictability.
Evan Feigenbaum of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace remarked on this shift, tweeting: ‘The US is pretty much done strategically in Southeast Asia… Washington is now neither principled nor strategic.’
India was singled out for its strengthening strategic ties with the US, with Paparo citing enhanced operational coordination, information sharing, and defence cooperation. ‘A strong and capable India… can help provide security and deter conflict in the Indo-Pacific,’ he added.
However, Paparo warned of significant logistical challenges for any US military response in the region, given the ‘tyranny of distance’ and the limited number of accessible bases. He said effective deterrence hinges on counter-C5ISR capabilities, long-range strike capacities, and resilient supply networks.
Addressing Chinese grey-zone activities, Paparo said Beijing frequently attempts to sabotage undersea internet cables near Taiwan. Senator Jacky Rosen called such actions ‘a particularly alarming tactic’ by China.
Paparo proposed deterrence through pre-emptive intelligence and resilience via redundant communication networks and low-Earth orbit constellations. He likened the task of countering Chinese actions to ‘a constant stare’—continuous monitoring and anticipation of Beijing’s moves.
He also highlighted Chinese encroachment in the South China Sea and increasing threats to treaty allies like the Philippines. The PLA’s claim to the region under the Nine-Dash Line was called excessive and illogical.
The establishment of the China-Cambodia Ream Port Joint Support & Training Centre, now hosting permanent PLA troops, reflects China’s expanding regional footprint. While both nations claimed the facility promotes regional cooperation, the move signals Beijing’s growing military reach.
Paparo concluded, ‘China poses real and serious challenges to our military superiority… but these challenges also present opportunities for reform and establishing an enduring advantage.’ He warned that China is out-producing the US in nearly every force metric, including a 6:1.8 ratio in warship construction and a tenfold to fifteenfold increase in military capability over the past 20 years.
China’s air force includes 2,100 fighters and over 200 H-6 bombers, with fighter production outpacing the US at a 1.2:1 ratio. Its long-range missiles threaten US air superiority in the First Island Chain, although Paparo stated the US could ‘contest air superiority and provide windows of control when needed.’
A war over Taiwan, Paparo warned, could result in catastrophic global economic consequences: a 25% GDP contraction in Asia, 10-12% GDP loss in the US, and up to 10% unemployment. He stressed that loss of Taiwan would weaken US alliances and embolden China’s efforts to reshape global rules to its benefit.
Senator Tom Cotton summed up the objective: ‘We want to stop the war from happening… through a strong military and resolute, confident leadership.’
Paparo’s overarching concern remains: the United States must outpace China in intelligence, cyber, space and strike capabilities to ‘blind, deceive and destroy the adversary’s ability to see and sense.’ (ANI)