US Indo-Pacific commander expresses concern over pace and scope of China’s growing military exercises

Washington, DC: According to a media source, US Indo-Pacific Commander Admiral Samuel Paparo has expressed worry over the scale and speed of China‘s changing military drills, describing them as a serious threat to both US strategic preparedness and regional security.

At the Sedona Forum at the McCain Institute in Arizona, Paparo was quoted as saying, “The rates of change on the depth and breadth of their exercises are the one non-linear effect that I’ve seen in the last year that wakes me up at night or keeps me up at night,” according to a report in the UK English daily, as reported by Taipei Times.

Paparo also cautioned about the pace at which China’s military might is growing. He claimed that while the US would still prevail in a possible fight over Taiwan today, the gap is rapidly closing as a result of China’s aggressive building of warships and submarines.

Although the US still has “key advantages over China in undersea capabilities, as well as superior capabilities in space and weapons that counter space assets,” he pointed out that China is producing more weapons systems, particularly naval forces, at a rate that the US is finding difficult to keep up with.

The People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) preparation, China’s assessment of Taiwan’s defense readiness, and Beijing’s belief that international allies would support Taiwan are some of the variables that determine deterrence in relation to China’s intentions toward Taiwan, according to Paparo. According to the Taipei Times, the comments coincide with rising regional unease about Chinese military actions close to Taiwan.

Ronald Clark, the US Army’s Pacific Commanding General, said that just five years ago, the present state of affairs would have looked improbable. Clark also said, “I would not have thought that China today would hold rehearsals of a blockade of Taiwan, but now it is commonplace,” in an interview with a US English daily that was reported by Taipei Times.

“China’s aggressive behavior has made the environment more dangerous” compared to his last deployment in the Indo-Pacific area three years before, he noted.

According to Clark, the PLA has been practicing encirclement and isolation drills since 2022. According to Taipei Times, these simulations provide important insights into possible tactics for an invasion or siege.
The United States is deploying technologies like the Typhon missile and creating Multi-Domain Task Forces to combat these threats. “If it gives them [Beijing] pause … let them have it,” Clark said.