A senior US military officer has identified China as a “focal point” for the Navy, citing the “phenomenal growth” of Beijing’s military and its ambitious goals for the years ahead.
Speaking at an event hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) on Thursday, Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Michael Gilday called for a “whole-of-government approach to deterring China,” arguing the country is “challenging us through all instruments of their national power.”
“We certainly have a lot of respect for them based on their ability to learn and evolve,” he said. “Thinking about the facts related to China and their phenomenal growth in the military dimension, but also in the economic dimension, not just regionally but globally – they’ve exceeded every deadline they’ve ever set for themselves.”
The admiral went on to note that while Beijing had once set a deadline of 2050 to become “a global power,” it has since moved up that timeframe, first to 2035, and more recently to 2027.