ThereÂ’s some very delicate military manoeuvring going on in the Pacific region right now. At the moment, itÂ’s all very civil and diplomatic, but thereÂ’s an edgy undercurrent. You see, the United States has been the big kid with the big stick in the neighbourhood for 60 years. ItÂ’s been the dominant naval force and, as a result, itÂ’s all been very peaceful. But now, that power is being challenged.
China has made mind-blowing investments in its Navy. And according to more than a few defence experts, China’s firepower more than matches the United States. Ship for ship, China may not equal America – it certainly doesn’t have as many aircraft carriers – but its submarines and long-range missiles could easily cause the U.S Pacific Fleet some serious damage.
Now, China is in no way showing any signs of aggression. It hasnÂ’t flexed any of its newly-bulging navy muscle. But the United States is worried, and so is Australia.
ThatÂ’s why they, and 11 other Pacific nations, have just rehearsed high seas warfare off the coast of Hawaii. Not surprisingly, China wasnÂ’t invited, but that doesnÂ’t mean they were snubbed. It just means that the American-lead Pacific coalition is finely tuning its fleet to see how it might match the Chinese.
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