China’s Long-Range Plan for War

Written by Joel Skousen  //  January 4, 2014  

In recent weeks I’ve covered some big milestones reached by Chinese military in the development of longer ranged ICBM’s, ballistic missile submarines and blue water naval assets. In past decades, China has been very secretive about its military advancement, not wanting to alert the West to their use of stolen technology—some from outright spying (which the US facilitated under the guise of friendship), and some from technology transfers through Israel, who acts as a surrogate for the US.

The media almost never allows this secret about Israel’s links with China to come before the American public. That’s still the case even though one story did slip through this week, courtesy of Defensetech.org,

Secret U.S. missile and electro-optics technology was transferred to China recently by Israel, prompting anger from the U.S. and causing a senior Israeli defense official to resign.

Starting in 2013 Chinese state media is once again bragging about Beijing’s military prowess, touting the fact that China’s new H-6K strategic bomber can attack U.S. military bases in South Korea as well as the Japanese mainland using long range nuclear cruise missiles. This from Infowars:

“With a range of between 1,500 and 2,000 kilometers, the CJ-10 meets the requirements of the PLA Air Force to possess the capability to launch strategic missile attacks against US military facilities and those of its allies in the Western Pacific,” states the report.

The article also lauds the fact that the H-6K can target the Japanese mainland without even leaving Chinese airspace, in addition to Russian cities in the far east, all major cities in India, as well as Vietnam, Malaysia and the Philippines, “in a potential war against Southeast Asian neighbors over territories in the South China Sea.”

But new and more advanced military hardware is only part of the strategic buildup for China. Just as important to a long range war plan is the ability to secure critical supplies of natural resources, strategic minerals and oil. I was pleased to see an Asian publication outline China’s strategic “String of Pearls” plan—something the US doesn’t want publicized lest the American public become alarmed.

China has locked in a good portion of the world’s strategic minerals, but it has become highly dependent on oil and gas from Iran and other bulk minerals from Australia, secured by long-term contracts. China’s external oil routes from the Middle East and Africa have to come through the Straits of Malaca—one of those strategic choke points in world geography that is difficult to keep open during war. Another is the Gulf of Hormuz, the outlet from the Persian Gulf oil basin.

Here are excerpts from a timely piece by Sam Chee Kong of the Malaysia Chronicle.

China’s largest strategic concern – regime survival and domestic stability – directly links to its economy. To sustain its economic growth China has to be depending increasingly on its external supply of energy, raw materials and food. So the development of Sea Line of Communication or (SLOCs) is vitally important as more than 80% of China’s trade go through the sea. The majority of the energy comes from the country’s coal about 65 %, 30% by oil and remaining by gas, nuclear and hydroelectric power.

In 2004, [China] overtook Japan to become the world’s second largest importer. By 2020 an estimated 60% of the country’s oil has to be imported compared to 8% in 1995. Also to be noted is that over 65% of China’s oil import came from the Middle East and Africa.

The choke-point of Straits of Malacca is considered too risky for China… So if there is a disruption of deliveries then China’s economy will be in a total standstill. So China knows the importance of protecting its SLOCs so that the oil supply from the Middle East remains uninterrupted.

Currently such protection is provided by the United States Navy in the form of permanent deployment of an aircraft carrier in the Gulf region. China currently enjoys being a ‘free rider’ meaning China gets free protection from the U.S Navy without having to pay for it.

However, for the past few years the U.S has already been cutting back its defense budget plus more oil has since been discovered recently, hence making the U.S less dependent on Middle Eastern oil in the future. Sooner or later the U.S will have to scale back its commitment to provide security to the shipping lanes in the Middle East.

Hence, by then China will then need to commit more resources towards maintaining security of the shipping lanes in the Middle East. Below is the map [click on the link to see these maps] of China’s SLOC and the oil shipping lanes from Hainan Island China till the Middle East.

This gave rise to the String of Pearls strategy. It is like pearls tied to a string and each pearl represents a country normally a port where China can get access to it. The string that attach to the pearls represents the Sea Lines of Communication (SLOCs). The String of Pearls will provide China with forward presence and military bases along the SLOCs from China to the Persian Gulf in the Middle East. A pearl normally comes with facilities like airstrips and naval bases.

The First Pearl is located at the Hainan Island in South China. The Chinese have already upgraded the naval base and military facilities. This massive underground submarine and warship base is built because of its strategic location in the South China Sea. The entrance is so huge that it can allow the fleet of 50 plus conventional and nuclear submarines to go in and out without Western spy satellites detecting.

The Second Pearl is the port of Hambantota in Sri Lanka despite much objection from India. However the project is already under way and China is underwriting a US$1.2 billion package for the facility. China investment in this area will increase significantly as it has some interest in oil drilling in Northeast Sri Lanka. Hambantota port will also include aviation fuel storage facility, LNG refinery and a bunkering facility to refuel ships.

The Third Pearl is located at the Chittagong port in Bangladesh. Fourth is the Woody Islandlocated 300 miles east of the Paracel Archipelago. An airstrip has been upgraded for this purpose. And so does Port of Sittwe in Myanmar, Marao in the Maldives and Port of Gwadar in Pakistan. The Gwadar port comes with a naval base and it is is chosen because of its strategic value in the 240 km distance from the Straits of Hormuz.

In its Grand Strategy that encompassed the ‘Peace Development’, China has identified 3 stages in development spanning 50 years. This involves both the economic and military. In thefirst stage of development from 2000-2010 China hopes to double its GDP and upgrade its Navy from ‘Green Water’ to ‘Blue Water’ and operate within the First Island Chain that stretch from Japan to Philippines , has been achieved.

The second stage from 2010-2020 with total GDP to be double and the development of the ‘Aircraft Carrier’ fleet of up to six carriers groups, to operate beyond the First Island Chain to reach the Second Island Chain which stretch from Guam to Indonesia and Australia is already on target with the recent commissioning of its first Aircraft Carrier, The Liaoning.

Stage 2 is also behind schedule. The Liaoning is a refurbished Ukrainian ski jump style carrier with no catapults. China will only be able to build 4 American style carriers by 2024, not six.

And finally, from 2020-2050 to catapult the nation to the middle rung of the Advanced Nations and with its Navy upgraded to a truly ‘World class Blue Water’ which can project power forward in all Oceans of the World. [The dates proffered here are false—China doesn’t intend to wait that long to fulfill this stage]

India complained to the US that China’s String of Pearls strategy is more of a strategic than commercial and the String of Pearls is encircling it from north to south. And also it feel very uneasy because a few of the pearls are India‘s old foe like Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

True. India has long been a client state of Russia until the pull back of the deceptive “collapse of the Soviet Union.” India clearly is a threat to China and is the only power in the region that has its own indigenous weapons program as well as the billions of people to man an army to match China’s. That’s why China is working to encircle India and why India is not waiting for either the West or the East to supply it with cutting edge weapons.

The Second String of Pearls is taking shape in the Pacific Ocean. China already had a strong presence in the Pacific Islands ever since there is a power vacuum left by the French and the Americans. China’s “checkbook diplomacy” did a marvelous job and it helped most of the Pacific Island nations to pay off their debts with no strings attached. Unlike Western aid which comes with a whole list of conditions like human rights, transparency, opening up of market and etc.

Without saying so publicly, the pacific String of Pearls Strategy also includes a plan to occupy Australia in the next war. That’s a natural extension of China having bought up most of Australia’s natural resources. She thinks she owns Australia now. China is also buying up timber and fisheries in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon islands. New Guinea’s vast energy and mineral resources include the Ramu Nickel and Cobalt mine.

It is not realistic, however, for China to think that she can protect her trade routes with these String of Pearl military outposts, bases and airfields. These will be used as jumping off points to conquer all the island chains surrounding China as WWIII begins—from Japan down through all the southern tier islands and perhaps even Hawaii.

China is also planning for the militarization of Space (suspecting that the US has already done so—which is true). The Pacific Islands are along the equator and International Date Line which is ideal for satellite tracking. In 1997 China built a satellite tracking station on the Tarawa atoll, which the US Marines conquered during WWII with much loss of life. Fortunately for the West, the Chinese offended the local government and was forced out. China is working on a replacement.

The third String of Pearls is likely be the African Continent since more than 20% of China’s oil imports come from that region. According to sources, Swakopmund in Namibia currently accommodate China’s third overseas satellite and space telemetry tracking station after the closure of the Tarawa base, is likely be the first pearl. Next will be the other African Nations on the east coast of Africa. The Port of Hambantota in Sri Lanka which has bunkering facilities for ship refuel and supplies provide a perfect docking point for Chinese ships on the way to Africa.

China has an interlocking network of private companies operating in almost every country of the world—all eager to take Chinese money. But these are not simply isolated developments to make use of excess foreign reserves. It’s part of an overall comprehensive strategy to consolidate and tighten its grip on the world and to project power worldwide someday. Keep in mind that China doesn’t just want to conquer the world militarily. It wants to harness the world’s economy under its personal control—a Chinese NWO if you will.