China seems to have been taking some military lessons from its coward minnow allies like Pakistan and the Taliban. After failing in front-to-front warfare, the communist nation is now resorting to guerilla warfare-type covert operations to carry out Trojan Horse-style warfare.
China militarises civil shipping containers
In a blatant attempt to militarise its civil infrastructure, the Xi Jinping regime has resorted to using the shipping container for firing missiles on to the enemy nation. According to a report by The Sun, a British tabloid newspaper, military strategists all across the globe are pondering over developing a new security check regime to ensure Chinese containers fulfill the only economic demand-supply gap and not militaristic needs of their nation.
The report reveals that China is secretly developing Hypersonic missiles which can be easily hidden in to-be-exported vessels to be smuggled to foreign lands. These missile-containing containers will be able to blend in with hundreds of freighters and fishing vessels and will be easy to pass through security checks on foreign lands.
It is widely believed that such missiles appeared for the first time at an arms fair in 2016. According to an analysis by US officials, the missiles deployed in shipping containers are anti-ship missiles called the YJ-18C, a version of the Russian Club-K weapon. These missiles easily fit into a standard 8 feet wide by 8.5 feet high by 20 feet or 40 feet long standard shipping container.
Missile containers can be used as strategic reserves
Talking to The Sun, Rick Fisher, senior fellow in Asian military affairs at the International Assessment and Strategy Center affirmed the possibility of the existence of such containers. Stockton Center for International Law had earlier issued a warning about violation of sea laws by such ships.
Asserting that these kinds of weapons are a perfect fit for Beijing’s military strategy, Fisher said, “Chinese strategic preferences for surprise would strongly argue for acquisition” of the missiles. These would be fitted to “nondescript small Chinese ships in order to mount surprise missile raids against shore defences to assist follow on amphibious or airborne invasion forces”.
Fisher also told the newspaper that transportation of these stealth missiles may not immediately translate into China launching a blitzkrieg-style attack on a country. Instead, he was concerned about the Chinese use of restraint when using these missiles. He opined that China could hide its missiles in their strategic bases in enemy territories and use them to browbeat those nations into submission on smaller strategic and diplomatic confrontations.
China intends to replace the US by 2050
China is playing a long-term game of trying to dethrone the US as a superpower of the world by the end of 2050. To establish itself, it is trying its best to impose its illegitimate hegemony in strategic waters all around the world. On numerous occasions, it tried to corner smaller countries like Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines into submission. However, attempts did not bring any fruit and China became a laughing stock in the international community.
Chinese assertions were given a fiery retaliation by India
Extensively reported by the TFI, in 2020, China tried to assert itself on India as well. India retorted back with a vigorous military, economic, political, and diplomatic offence on Xi Jinping’s regime. On a military level, the Chinese army was thrashed by Indian soldiers in Galwan valley. Economically, India reduced its dependence on China-made products, and recently Chinese had to suffer a cumulative loss of Rs 50,000 crores during Diwali.
Read more: Global Times gets rattled as India flashes the BrahMos card at the China border
Recently, Rajnath Singh, the Indian defence minister also issued a strict warning to China. Taking a dig at China’s varying interpretation of UNCLOS, he asked China to follow the spirit behind the formation of UNCLOS. Indirectly accusing China of hegemonic tendencies, the defence minister said, “the ‘United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea’ (UNCLOS) of 1982, territorial waters of nations, exclusive economic zones and the principle of ‘Good order at sea’ have been propounded. Some irresponsible nations, for the sake of their narrow partisan interests, keep on giving new and inappropriate interpretations to these international laws from hegemonic tendencies”
Read more: Rajnath’s bold response to China’s weird interpretations of UNCLOS in the South China Sea
Democratic world order would never grant a country that uses its civil and economic relationships to threaten its allies. Militarising civilians is one of the worst crimes a nation could ever commit. Already disrobed of any trust, Chinese authorities are making it worse for them.
