C. Releasing Asia-Pacific Maritime Security Strategy in order to maintain maritime hegemony in Asia-Pacific On August 21, 2015, the US DoD released the first Asia-Pacific Maritime Security Strategy.
As the first maritime security strategy targeted at a region, this document reveals the US deep concerns over the maritime security in Asia-Pacific and its strategic intention to sustain maritime hegemony in this region.
Firstly, the US deems China as the primary trouble maker to the maritime tensions in Asia-Pacific, and the top threat to its leadership in the region. The document claims that China’s advances in anti-access and area-denial （A2／AD） weapons, such as conventional ballistic missiles and cruise missiles, are imposing restraint on the US freedom of navigation; it also condemns China’s artificial land construction in South China Sea as “expansion” and “coercion”, which is responsible for tensions in this region; it affirms that China’s advanced maritime capabilities and land reclamation in South China Sea have to a great degree increased US and its partners’ security concern in this region.
Secondly, the document proposes three maritime strategic objectives targeted against China.
The first objective is to ensure the freedom of the seas and thereby enhance its military presence in Asia-Pacific; the second objective is to definitely regard China as a coercive party, claiming that China’s unilateral efforts to establish Air Defense Identification Zone （ADIZ） and speed up land construction are impairing international freedom of navigation and neglecting international rules; the third objective is to contain China collectively with the so-called international law and institutions by taking advantages of being a rule-maker.
Thirdly, the document proposes four policies, attempting to press China comprehensively.
The four policies are：to execute the Offset Strategy, focus on all domain access, and enhance the US military strength on a full scale; to strengthen allies and partners’ capabilities, in particular their maritime domain awareness in Asia, the Pacific and Indian Ocean; to advance defense diplomacy with China to mitigate misjudgment and risk of conflicts, and therefore promote China’s military transparency; to further regional security coordination mechanism and construct an open and efficient regional security framework.
It is a plain fact that this document is targeted blatantly on China, while it also bears definite evidence to the US confusing right and wrong, condemning China on no grounds, being partial to the Philippines and Vietnam, making tensions and messing up situations in an attempt to confine China’s development. All these suggest that the US has deemed China as a major strategic rival in maritime Asia-Pacific and will predictably keep watch on and contain China.
Chapter II Military Strength, Force Deployment and Development of New Types of Combat Forces
In 2015, the US forces have been advancing the Third Offset Strategy, downsizing the staff, innovating the technology, optimizing resources, integrating institutions, and recruiting talents.
Bureaucracy and ground forces are a focus to be downsized, while air force and navy are kept in previous size, so as to build a highly skilled and powerful modern force system with a smaller scale. Consequently, the US Active Components （AC） are reduced from 1.303 million to 1.326 million, in which 17,000 personnel and 5 combat brigades in the Army were cut. In 2019, the US Army （USA） will continue its downsizing to 440,000-450,000, the US Marine Corps （USMC） will reduce from 185,000 to 182,000, and the US Air Force （USAF） and US Navy （USN） will remain the current scale. At the same time, the US global military disposition is adjusted and optimized, which strengthens forward military deterrence and deployment for interference. There are following characteristics：updated hot spots, rapid reaction, optimized integration, and highlighted stress.
|
