AWACS by KWIC
KILO by Andrei Pinkov (Kanwa news Feb 18) After the crisis in the Taiwan Strait in 1996, China further realized the importance and urgency of resolving the Taiwan issue through military struggle. Then it immediately made an obvious but more focused adjustment in the development of military equipment, the purchase of weapons from foreign countries, and the other arrangements.
The Chinese strategic thinking in the development of weapons and equipment in recent years reflects the following three levels of deterrence.
First of all, the first level of deterrence is the direct threat to Taiwan, including 1. the expedition in the development of more regular ground-to-ground missiles and ground-to-ground cruise missiles and in their deployment in the Taiwan Strait, 2. the production of the advanced submarines and fighter planes, 3. the import of the special equipment used by the parachute landing force, for example, the combat vehicles for the parachutists, and 4. the continuous military maneuvers in the Taiwan Strait.
The second level of deterrence is intended for the prevention of US involvement through the import of the Modern-class destroyers suitable for the attack on the aircraft carrier fleet, the development of the long-range cruise missiles, and the expedition in the development of the new ICBMs and the nuclear attack submarines.
The third level of deterrence is directed at the ambiguous attitude that Japan may show in case of any conflict that happens in the Taiwan Strait, including providing part of the logistic support to the US army. The specific manifestation of this level of deterrence is increased operations of the Chinese navy and air force in the South China Sea, including having more J8D in-flight refueling fighter planes and more upgraded Ming-class submarines, establishing more bridgeheads and support bases on the sea, and entering into an ever more extensive area of the sea. All these help enhance the actual effective control of China over the South China Sea and demonstrate China's capability of disrupting the lifeline of Japan on the sea ( Kanwa news Yihong Zhang).
