Armaments and subsequent strategic pacts in Asia

Indonesia and the United States have signed a defence cooperation agreement to counter China’s influence in the Indo-Pacific region. Previously, the US concluded a defence cooperation agreement with Papua New Guinea and a strategic partnership with Vietnam. Meanwhile, the US and South Korea updated their security agreement to counter nuclear and missile threats from North Korea. The United States will mobilise all military potential, including nuclear ones, to defend South Korea in the event of a nuclear attack from the North.

In preparation for a possible conflict with China, the focus of American military exercises is shifting from the deserts to the jungles to the Gonsalves training ground on the Japanese island of Okinawa. The local marine training centre is considered the most challenging facility in the world. Much of the Indo-Pacific region consists of jungle, including the Philippines, Malaysia and Vietnam. Each of these countries is involved in disputes with China over territories in the South China Sea.

Taiwan and China are expanding their weapons arsenal to include missiles that can hit targets in the centre of the opponent’s country in the event of a potential conflict. Taiwan has now developed and mass-produced the Ching Tien missile with a range of 2,000 km. The Yun Feng supersonic cruise missile ranges from 1,200 to 2,000 km. Meanwhile, Chinese Dongfeng-17 missiles can hit targets 2,000 km away and move more than five times faster than sound.