‘China developing anti-access to counter US military’

MANILA, Philippines — China has been focusing on anti-access and area denial in the air and maritime domains against the United States and its allies, the US Army Pacific commanding general has revealed.

According to Army Gen. Ronald Clark, China is developing military technologies, capabilities and procedures at a pace and scale never before seen.

Beijing is also learning lessons from ongoing conflicts and is rapidly improving its ability to operate in a joint capacity, he said.

Anti-access prevents an advancing military force from entering an area, and area denial limits a force’s freedom of action within an area. 

“What they have not accounted for is our ability to provide access through multidomain operations from the land,” Clark said Friday during a strategic landpower forum at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Clark was referring to the US Army’s multidomain task force deterrence concept that prizes operating in space, cyberspace, electronic warfare, information operations and employing long-range fires. 

He said China has increased its aggression, belligerence and coercive tactics against allies and partners in the region.

“Our ability to be present, to give them an alternative, specifically in the security arena, is very, very important. So, presence matters,” he added.

The general cited the large number of exercises occurring throughout the region, participated by the US and other nations.  

He said the Army is increasing prepositioned stocks in the region, known as joint theater distribution centers, to minimize risk associated with moving supplies from afar by air and sea. 

“Our ability to be able to gain positional advantage is all tied to our efforts to campaign inside the first and second island chains, to build positional advantage through our engagements, through our operations, through our activities and investments in the (Indo-Pacific) region,” Clark said. 

The first island chain comprises islands and land from Japan to Southeast Asia that mostly lies adjacent to waters illegally claimed by China. The second island chain consists of islands to the east of the first island chain, such as Japan’s Bonin Islands, Guam, and those located south to Western New Guinea.