The rise of China's navy has alarmed the West
The rapid development of the Chinese Navy and its increasingly powerful war potential have caused great concern in Western countries. The closing of the 19th Western Pacific Naval Forum marks China's growing importance and influence in maritime affairs.
During the four-day forum, representatives from 22 member states and seven observer states discussed more than 10 topics, including those related to the increasingly intense strategic game between China and the United States. In this context, the forum is regarded as an important platform for maintaining peace and stability in the Western Pacific region, and provides an opportunity for countries to build mutual trust and cooperation.
The activities of the Chinese Navy are frequent, especially during the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Navy, the surface warship units of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) in various places have held activities to "warships return to their hometowns" to demonstrate their great strength and achievements to the public. At the same time, a series of naval propaganda videos broadcast by CCTV also attracted wide attention, demonstrating the continuous improvement of the training level and combat capability of the Chinese Navy.
At the same time, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) hosted the 19th Annual Meeting of the Western Pacific Naval Forum, once again demonstrating China's active participation and leadership in international maritime affairs. In view of the strategic competition between China and the United States in the Taiwan Strait, the South China Sea, the East China Sea, and other directions, the holding of this forum has attracted wide attention from all over the world.
The U.S. Navy remains one of the largest navies in the world, but it faces increasingly serious challenges. Despite having as many as 11 aircraft carriers, 86 shield ships, and nearly 70 attack/strategic nuclear submarines, some of the U.S. Navy's capital ships are nearing the end of their service life and need a new round of life extension work to extend their service life. At the same time, the U.S. shield fleet is also facing the problem of decreasing numbers and aging, which affects its overall size and combat effectiveness.
Although the United States is also working to develop a new generation of warships, such as the Burke 3 destroyer and the Constellation-class frigate, its shipbuilding capacity faces serious challenges. The U.S. Navy's stock advantage is waning, and the increment used to fill the gap is far less than China's. As a result, the US Navy's position as the world's number one is facing an increasingly severe test.
Faced with the rise of China's navy, the U.S. government and military have had to reassess their strategy and seek a balance between cooperation and competition with China. At the same time, the pace of construction and deployment of the Chinese navy has raised concerns about security and stability in the Western Pacific. In this case, maintaining good relations with China, or at least not further deteriorating relations, has become a reasonable option for the United States.
In general, the rise of the Chinese Navy has caused alarm in Western countries. In the face of the rapid development of China's navy, the United States needs to take active and effective measures to safeguard its own national interests and regional security. Long-term peace and stability in the region can be achieved only through a balance between cooperation and competition.