Threshold!

Oh, It's true bay bee!

The world's largest Collectivist autocrazy is totally hot! to minimize foreign military chicanery in and beyond the famous First Island Chain - Sino military speak for the highly desirable economic trade production booty zone - counterminiously hooked up with various democrazies like Taiwan, Nippon, the Philippines, SoKo and Malaysia - as well as Vietnam's collectivist mercantilism.

"...China knows that East Asia's rise from the ruins of World War II to global economic powerhouse has depended on freedom of navigation and maritime trade. China's self-declared maritime defense perimeter covers inter-connected seas and straits used by international shipping to carry more than $5 trillion in annual commerce, including $1.3 trillion in U.S. trade.

And the biggest target of all is Great Satan's deterrence. 


Dongfeng DF-21 D - the carrier killer ballistic missile that swings both ways - payloading conventional or a surprise new clear payload, the J20 Black Eagle stealth fighter, Shi Lang - the old Soviet Union's aircraft carrier Varyag - and most disturbing of all - China's debut of her new clear ambiguity policy

 "...People's Liberation Army's strategic missile forces, the Second Artillery Corps, will adjust the nuclear threat policy if a nuclear missile-possessing country carries out a series of air strikes against key strategic targets in our country with absolutely superior conventional weapons.''

Whoa!

So, how should a hyper puissant Great Satan fully crunked "absolutely superior conventional weapons" honk with a rising, regional 1st Island Chain puissant?


"...Hedge against Chinese breakout capabilities. In and of itself, China’s military modernization is not necessarily a threat. China is now the world’s second largest economy and has a global footprint. It is only natural that China would create a military capable of defending those interests. How it defines those interests (often, as in the seas off its east coast, in direct conflict with U.S. interests) and how it uses its military power to pursue them are the dangerous complicating factors. 

"...The pace of China’s military expansion is much greater than predicted, whether it is ASBMs and anti-access/area denial capabilities or practicing joint operations. Consequently, American planners should not only revise their predictions to accommodate the new realities of the PLA but also recognize the limits of their understanding of current Chinese practices.

"...Maintain U.S. capabilities in the Western Pacific. One of the essential elements of U.S. deterrence is the ability to engage in escalation dominance—that is, no matter what Chinese military capabilities arise, the U.S. will always be able to meet and overmatch them. This is the cornerstone of both U.S. security and its security guarantees to its alliance partners and friends in the region.

"...This can be achieved only through sustained investments not only in current force structure but in R&D as well. Reductions in current American forces, by contrast, can only raise questions about both the credibility and reliability of the American commitment—and increase the risk of miscalculation and conflict.

"...Enhance intelligence and analytical capabilities. The Chinese government in general, but especially the PLA, does not place much faith in transparency. While it has improved some aspects of its public face, fundamental aspects of Chinese security decision making remains unknown. Before expanding its engagement with the Chinese, the U.S. should have a better sense of whom it is dealing with and how their system of military management actually works. 

"...This can be achieved only through a sustained commitment to developing familiarity and expertise. Those responsible for developing the next several budgets need to keep this in mind. 

China’s copy cat of American rhetoric about force doctrine, the Revolution in Military Affairs, and information warfare is striking and presents one conclusion:

China is the only military in the world sexplicitly prepping, training and equipping to fight Great Satan.

Pic - "Lowering the threshold of nuclear threats" via Protocol Snow