Pacific chief says China's military buildup largest since World War II
Aquilino: Threat posed by Beijing drove new regional partnership
By Bill Gertz - The Washington Times
Monday, December 6, 2021
China’s buildup of military forces is the largest the world has seen since World War II and has driven Australia and other nations around the world to seek closer security ties to the United States, according to the commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.
Adm. John Aquilino also said the U.S. military is working with Taiwan to strengthen its defenses as the island-state finds itself under growing pressure from Beijing.
“What I know we’re watching in the region is the largest military buildup we’ve seen since World War II,” the four-star admiral said in remarks at a recent defense conference in California.
Flush from a fast-growing economy, the Chinese military is rapidly modernizing its forces with new missiles, warships, nuclear forces, cyberattack capabilities and space weapons in recent years. The buildup has driven the Australians, in particular, to seek nuclear submarines as part of a new “AUKUS” security pact revealed in September with the United States and Britain, he said.
https://m.washingtontimes.com/news/2021/dec/6/pacific-chief-says-chinas-military-buildup-largest/
