Biden will Be Tough on China; Stand with Taiwan

China, identified by the U.S. military as the most dangerous strategic threat to the United States, won't see any immediate easing of sanctions or diplomatic pressure under the Biden administration.

Despite immense areas of disagreement, both President Joe Biden and former president Donald Trump agree the U.S. must confront Chinese aggression with resolute strength. The Biden administration is expected to hold China to account for its human rights violations, especially against the Muslim Uyghur minority, and for its illegal territorial claims in the South China Sea, East China Sea and the Himalayas.

Team Biden agrees with the Trump administration on several “extremely touchy” issues concerning China. Early signals show the Biden administration “may change the tone and tenor of the conversation with Beijing -- but they’re not really gonna change the policy,” said Lanhee Chen, director of domestic policy studies and lecturer at Stanford University.

He pointed out that Antony Blinken, Biden’s nominee for Secretary of State, said during his confirmation hearing this week he agreed with the previous administration’s assessment that China committed genocide against the minority Uyghur Muslims.

Blinken also admitted Trump was "right in taking a tougher approach to China." On the other hand, he "very much" disagreed with the manner in which Trump went about this issue.

Blinken also “made clear that the U.S. will not be abandoning Taiwan anytime soon.” He told senators he remains in favor of greater engagement with Taiwan, or the Republic of China.

Antony Blinken

The U.S. is Taiwan’s largest arms supplier and most powerful international backer. This relationship flourished under Trump and seems set to continue under Trump.

Emily Horne, spokeswoman for the National Security Council (NSC), reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to Taiwan remains "rock-solid."

"President Biden will stand with friends and allies to advance our shared prosperity, security, and values in the Asia-Pacific region -- and that includes Taiwan," said Horne.

Taiwan took heart when its de facto ambassador to the U.S., Hsiao Bi-khim, was invited to attended Biden's swearing-in on Wednesday.

Hsiao said she was honored to be at Biden's swearing-in representing Taiwan's government and people.

"Democracy is our common language and freedom is our common objective," she said in a video message to Taiwan.

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen sent her congratulations to Biden, saying she hoped both countries can work together to maintain regional democracy, freedom, peace and stability.

Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it was the first time Taiwan's Washington representative had formally been invited to the swearing-in of a U.S. president. It noted this gracious gesture reaffirms the close friendship between Taiwan and the U.S. based on shared values.

"These shared values are democracy, freedom and human rights," said ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou.

The United States severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan in 1979 to recognize China. The U.S., however, is bound by treaties to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself. (Jan. 23, 2021)

Biden SecDef Nominee Says China a Greater Threat than Russia

Retired U.S. Army Gen. Lloyd Austin, President Joe Biden's nominee for Secretary of Defense, affirms China remains the most dangerous strategic threat facing the United States.

Testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee during his nomination hearing, Austin emphasized his focus as defense secretary will be on the threat posed by China. He believes China is the “pacing threat” confronting the U.S.

“Clearly the strategy will be arrayed against the threat and China presents the most significant threat going forward because China is ascending," said Austin.

"Russia is also a threat, but it’s in decline. It can still do a great deal of damage as we’ve seen here in recent days. And it’s a country that we have to maintain some degree of focus on, but China is the pacing threat.”

Austin told the senators the U.S. military maintains a qualitative edge over China. That advantage, however, is diminishing and must be remedied.

“We’ll have to have capabilities that allow us to hold – to present a credible threat, a credible deterrent, excuse me - to China in the future," Austin pointed out.

"We’ll have to make some strides in the use of quantum computing, the use of AI, the advent of connected battlefields, the space-based platforms. Those kinds of things I think can give us the types of capabilities that we’ll need to be able to hold large pieces of Chinese military inventory at risk."

Austin strongly believes the U.S. military retains a qualitative and competitive edge over China.

He also said he intends to revisit the Trump administration's 2021 National Defense Strategy that ranks China as the top threat to the U.S. The NDS lists the five greatest dangers to U.S. national security as China, Russia, North Korea, Iran and global terrorism.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin

"These are the same threats that Secretary Ash Carter described at the end of the Obama administration, but the order has changed," said the 2018 NDS.

"Whereas Carter had put Russia first, the Trump administration puts China first. Further, the administration’s strategy places greater emphasis on China and Russia than the other three threats."

The document describes China as a strategic competitor using predatory economics to intimidate its neighbors while militarizing features in the South China Sea.

“I think much of the document is absolutely on track for today’s challenges, Mr. Chairman," said Austin in response to a question from Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK).

"As is the case with all strategies — if confirmed — one of the things that I would look to do is to work to update the strategy and work within the confines of the guidance and the policy issued by the next administration."

Anthony Blinken, Biden's nominee for Secretary of State, said much the same thing during his nomination confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday.

He said both confrontation and competition with China must be approached from "a position of strength, not a position of weakness." He asserted the U.S. has the means to confront China and these are "fully within our control." (Jan. 21, 2021)

Taiwan Stages Combat Drill vs. Chinese Airborne Invasion

Taiwan staged a brigade size military drill aimed at defeating an airborne invasion of the country by paratroopers and airborne troops of the People's Liberation Army (PLA).

The exercise Tuesday involving the joint arms battalion of the 584 Armor Brigade of the Republic of China Army (ROCA) simulated repulsing an airborne assault of the Taoyuan International Airport. The mock attack conducted at the Hukou Army Base south of Taipei also saw the debut of the army's unmanned helicopter drone, said the Military News Agency.

Any PLA invasion of Taiwan will be preceded by aerial attacks and air landing assaults on key command and control centers and other strategic targets such as airports by paratroopers, special forces units and other airborne troops.

ROCA said the aim of the exercise was to hone the battalion’s suppressive fire capabilities, battlefield surveillance abilities and defense skills. Army soldiers practiced destroying PLA anti-armor weapons while conducting air strike coordination. Emphasis was laid on armored vehicle offensive maneuvers.

The combat exercise came only a day before the exit of the Trump administration, which has been the country's most supportive U.S. administration in decades.

The exercise incorporated real combat scenarios and highlighted the ability of joint battalions to independently conduct coordinated operations.

Lt. Col. Huang Yu-tin, commander of the 584th brigade’s joint arms battalion said the information drones provide help enhances situational awareness and leads to better battlefield decisions.

He said the military's new drone flies at a maximum altitude of 3,000 meters and has  a range of five kilometers. The drone can observe enemy targets at a distance and relay intelligence back to the operations command center.

The Ministry of Defense said helicopter drones are expected to be deployed with troops in the first quarter of 2022.

The combat exercise was meant to reassure the public the military is on high alert ahead of February’s Lunar New Year festival on February 12 when many troops take leave and visit their families.

“No matter what is happening around the Taiwan Strait, our determination to guard our homeland will never change,” said Maj. Gen. Chen Chong-ji, director of the department of political warfare, about the exercise.

Chen said the exercise was intended as a show of force underscoring Taiwan’s determination to maintain peace. (Jan. 18, 2021)

Taiwan F-CK-1 fighter

High-Energy Lasers Will Arm 2 US Navy Warships This Year

The U.S. Navy is forging ahead with plans to arm an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer and a Littoral Combat Ship with laser cannons capable of destroying aerial drones and small fast attack boats.

The USS Preble (DDG-88), a destroyer of the U.S. Seventh Fleet that transited the Taiwan Strait in March 2019, will be the first Navy destroyer to be armed with the "High Energy Laser with Integrated Optical-dazzler and Surveillance" (HELIOS). Integration of the powerful 60 kW HELIOS laser close in weapons system with the Preble will take place this year.

This historic milestone is the culmination of more than a decade of development work perfecting a ship-borne laser, or directed energy, weapon capable of cheaply and efficiently eliminating threats from small but dangerous weapons such as aerial drones. HELIOS is under contract with Lockheed Martin.

The integration of HELIOS with Preble follows a recent demonstration of full laser power in excess of the 60 kW requirement set by the Navy. HELIOS' scalable laser design architecture combines multiple kilowatt fiber lasers to attain high beam quality at various power levels.

The Navy will also arm the Littoral Combat Ship USS Little Rock (LCS-9) with an even more powerful weapon. Little Rock will be the first warship to deploy a 150kW HELIOS laser weapon system, making this warship the first in its class ready to go to war with this weapon.

HELIOS in combat

The Navy said lasers deployed aboard its LCS fleet contributes to a layered laser defense effort, and boost the LCS’s lethality to counter fast-attack craft and aerial drones.

Little Rock will receive HELIOS during its upcoming deployment later this year amid efforts to boost the LCS’s lethality, said Vice Adm. Richard Brown, Commander of Naval Surface Forces.

The warship will likely deploy to U.S. Fourth Fleet whose area of responsibility covers the Caribbean Sea, and the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans around Central and South America.

HELIOS will assist LCS warships in its surface warfare mission to counter fast-attack craft and unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and detect incoming targets.

The ongoing effort to bring more lethality to the LCS fleet is meant to dispel rumors LCS aren’t survivable or lethal enough in surface combat, said Joe DePietro, Lockheed Martin Vice President and General Manager of Small Combatants and Ship Systems.

Little Rock is a monohull Freedom-class LCS. The LCS fleet comprises two hulls: a monohull version built in Wisconsin by Lockheed Martin and Fincantieri, and a trimaran version built by Austal USA in Alabama. (Jan. 16, 2021)

U.S. Report Accuses China of Genocide vs. Muslim Uyghurs

The U.S. Congress has issued a scathing report openly condemning China for committing genocide against Muslim Uyghurs in the Muslim-majority Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and other Muslim minorities in the country.

The report released Thursday by the bipartisan Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) accuses the communist Chinese government of "crimes against humanity - and possibly genocide." It also assails China for harassing and harming Uyghurs living in the United States.

"Disturbing new evidence has also emerged of a systematic and widespread policy of forced sterilization and birth suppression of the Uyghur and other minority populations," according to the report.

In addition, elementary and middle-school-age children Xinjiang were involuntarily separated from their families.

Taken together, these trends "suggest that the Chinese government is intentionally working to destroy Uyghur and other minority families, culture, and religious adherence, all of which should be considered when determining whether the Chinese government is responsible for perpetrating atrocity crimes—including genocide—against Uyghurs, Kazakhs, and other Turkic and predominantly Muslim ethnic minorities in China."

Under international law, crimes against humanity are defined as widespread and systematic. The burden of proof for genocide, which is the intent to destroy part of a population, is more difficult to prove.

The United Nations confirms some one million Uyghurs and other Muslims are imprisoned at so-called "educational and vocational institutes" and prison camps throughout Xinjiang.

A genocide declaration by the U.S. will mean other countries will have to think hard about allowing companies to do business with Xinjiang, which produces 20% of the world’s supply of cotton. It also makes further U.S. sanctions against China highly likely.

The U.S. has already levied economic sanctions against China for its oppression of Uyghurs. On Wednesday, it banned the importation of all cotton and tomatoes produced in Xinjiang over China's use of forced labor to make these products.

The move is the harshest to date to block the importation of goods made in Xinjiang. The ban was announced by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Some $9 billion worth of cotton products and $10 million worth of tomato products were imported into the United States from Xinjiang in 2020.

Major fashion brands such as Nike, Adidas and Gap have come under fire from human rights groups for using cotton sourced from China.

CECC co-chair Rep. Jim McGovern, a Democrat from Massachusetts, called China's actions to destroy human rights in Xinjiang "shocking and unprecedented." He urged Congress and the incoming Biden administration to hold China accountable for its crimes against the country's minorities.

"The United States must continue to stand with the people of China in their struggle and lead the world in a united and coordinated response to the human rights abuses of the Chinese government," he said.

The CECC report recommends a formal U.S. "determination on whether atrocities are being committed" in Xinjiang. A determination is required within 90 days of U.S. legislation passed on Dec. 27.

CECC is an independent agency of the U.S. government that monitors human rights and rule of law developments in China. It was given this mandate by the U.S. Congress and focuses on China's compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. (Jan. 15, 2021)

US Navy Will Deploy More Littoral Combat Ships to Indo-Pacific

 The U.S. Navy will surge the deployment to the Indo-Pacific of its fleet of littoral combat ships (LCS) this year even as the incoming administration of President Joe Biden is signaling it will move forward with the "Pivot to Asia" strategy of the Obama administration.

Among the most modern ships in the Navy, LCS' are ideally suited to operating in the Indo-Pacific because their shallow draft allows them to maneuver in waters with a depth of only four meters. Their shallow draft is well suited for Indo-Pacific operations due to the many shallow-water ports in the region that impede larger warships.

The Navy has funding to build 35 littoral combat ships. Of this total, 21 have been commissioned into the Navy and are operational. Four warships will be decommissioned starting 2022, however.

Vice Adm. Roy Kitchener, Commander, Naval Surface Forces, said the LCS warships assigned to Asia will lead the Navy's ongoing campaign to resolutely counter China's growing influence in the region. Chinese expansionism is being spearheaded by the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), which is becoming a formidable blue water navy.

Kitchener said the Navy has identified missions the LCS will fulfill in U.S. Seventh Fleet, the largest of the forward deployed Navy fleets.

Based at U.S. Fleet Activities Yokosuka in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, the fleet commands up to 70 warships, 300 aircraft and 40,000 Navy, Marine Corps personnel, and Coast Guard support personnel.

"If you look at the things we want to do and the Seventh Fleet ... that's what (Vice Adm. William Merz, Commander, Seventh Fleet) wants to use them for," according to Kitchener. "And there's a lot of capability there. They're going to be on the front lines.

Kitchener said littoral combat ships are useful platforms, especially in the Pacific, where the Navy and Marine Corps are focused on littoral (or close to shore) operations in a contested environment and expeditionary advanced base operations.

USS  Gabrielle Giffords

Adm. Michael M. Gilday, Chief of Naval Operations, last week asserted he's committed to making good use of the Navy's 31 littoral combat ships.

The littoral combat ships that will be deployed to Asia will be among the most lethal in the fleet, said Gilday. LCS can bring a lethal capability to day-to-day competition at sea, said Gilday.

"I'm going to deliver that with LCS in this decade," vowed Gilday.

Every LCS will be armed with the Kongberg Naval Strike Missile (NSM), said Kitchener. He also said the Navy is continuing to study how to make the warships more lethal.

"I think it's going to become exciting," he said. "We've just got to deliver a sustained plan of how many we're going to get out there next year, maybe the following year. And we've got to meet that requirement."

NSM is long-range, precision-strike weapon anti-ship and land-attack missile that can find and destroy enemy ships from up to 185 kilometers away. It was designed specifically for littoral water ("brown water") scenarios.

Kitchener noted the USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS-10) that operated in the South China Sea in 2020 was the first LCS to get the missile, which is called the RGM-184A in Navy service. (Jan. 14, 2021)

Biden Administration will Push Obama's "Pivot to Asia' Strategy

 

The appointment of old Asia hand Kurt Michael Campbell to the new position of “Indo-Pacific coordinator" at the National Security Council (NSC) by president-elect Joe Biden sends a strong signal to Asian allies the new administration will take a hard line against China.

Campbell, who formerly served as Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs under the Obama administration, was one of the architects of Obama's "Pivot to Asia," or East Asia Strategy. This strategy called for strengthening bilateral security alliances; deepening America's working relationships with emerging powers (including China) and advancing democracy and human rights, among others.

As Indo-Pacific coordinator, Campbell will have broad management over NSC directorates responsible for China-related issues and parts of Asia. He's expected to adapt the Pivot to Asia strategy to deal with the new strategic situation created by president Donald Trump's confrontational strategic competition against China.

Campbell will report directly to incoming national security adviser Jake Sullivan, a close friend whom he worked with at the Department of State during the Clinton administration, said The Washington Post.

Campbell and Sullivan made their thoughts known about how to deal with China in late 2019 in a joint essay for the magazine, Foreign Affairs, with the title, “Competition Without Catastrophe: How America Can Both Challenge and Coexist With China.”

They dismissed the failed strategy that sought to engage China in hopes China will liberalize. Instead, they argue competition against China must revolve around the goal of coexisting with China rather than expecting to change it.

Kurt Campbell

In their definition, however, coexistence isn't passive acquiescence to the status quo. Rather, their concept of coexistence means accepting coexistence as a challenge that can be shaped to foster U.S. national interests.

“Although coexistence offers the best chance to protect U.S. interests and prevent inevitable tension from turning into outright confrontation, it does not mean the end of competition or surrender on issues of fundamental importance,” they wrote. “Instead, coexistence means accepting competition as a condition to be managed rather than a problem to be solved.”

Campbell expounded on his philosophy in a new essay in Foreign Affairs published only last Tuesday. Along with co-author Rush Doshi, director of the Brookings Institution's China Strategy Initiative, Campbell focused on how the U.S. can “shore up” the international order in Asia by restoring a balance of power with China, bolstering alliances and then using those alliances to push back on Beijing’s aggressive actions.

These solutions harken back to the tenets of Obama's Pivot to Asia. Campbell wants to strengthen and expand alliances in the Indo-Pacific to better contain China.

A network of overlapping coalitions allows the U.S. to join with like-minded partners to “send a message (to China) that there are risks to China’s present course."

“This task will be among the most challenging in the recent history of American statecraft," wrote Campbell and Doshi. (Jan. 13, 2021)