China has been trying to test the water against the US for decades now. While they have largely remained silent and focused on their problems with Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the Spratly Islands. Now they have added the US to that list, as the is committed to not allowing China to continue its manmade island growth spurt unchecked.
Part of this growth has also included making new weapons to fire from their new warships. U.S. Navy Admiral Samuel Paparo, the head of the U.S. Pacific Fleets spoke with reporters on November 18th about the changes in the Pacific. As Bloomberg reported, one of the biggest changes comes from the Jin-class of submarines. They are “equipped with JL-3 intercontinental ballistic missiles. They were built to threaten the United States. We keep close track of those submarines.”
According to a DOD annual report on China’s military capabilities back in November 2021, the People’s Liberation Army Navy or PLAN would soon have the capability to strike the US, even from littoral waters. Specifically, the South China Sea and Bohai Gulf. Between Paparo’s statements and this previous report, reporters asked if the six JL-3 submarines had operated near Hawaii, but Paparo declined to comment.
The report issued by the Pentagon claimed PLAN has 12 nuclear subs, with six of them equipped with the previous top Chinese missile the JL-2. This missile served as China’s first true sea-based nuclear deterrent. The JL-3 has a much larger range, thus allowing the US to be struck from its own backyard.
So far, the Chinese have done limited testing with this missile or any others. Instead, they have been focused on the further creation, solidification, or expansion of their manmade islands. However, what testing they have done has been incredibly successful. Despite this, President Biden and the rest of the leftist parade of clowns seem to think China is a joke and a country to be trifled with.
For their part, China has thus far made it clear that they don’t want conflict with the US, or anyone else. They just want to keep their islands, keep Hong Kong under control, and remind Taiwan who is really in charge, especially with the so-called ONE China policy.
Despite this policy, Taiwan currently is one of the biggest computer chip producers in the world. Re-taking this tiny nation for their own would be devastating to global trade and, in particular, the US automotive and tech industries. While China could care less about that, between financial impacts on the US and the US’s on-again, off-again resolve to protect Taiwan has put the US in a tough spot no matter how this should end up.
By claiming the technological advancements of the JL-3, China has made its efforts to retake Taiwan ultimately more serious and more concerning for the people of the US. It puts the entire US economy at risk, and while the US is developing new computer chip factories to help lessen the dependence on Taiwan (thank you COVID), they still are not up and running or even close to operational.
For at least the next few years, the US will be helping to protect Taiwan and depending on the actions of China, possibly longer. It’s not the most comfortable spot to be, but we know that we have the same capabilities as China, if not better. The only real difference is where and how any attacks happen.
