Joe Biden ups ante to cut military muscle of China

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By Our Special Correspondent

New Delhi, January 28: Even while China seeks to hide its wolf warrior diplomacy to buy time to repair economy, US President Joe Biden stays the course to check the growing military prowess of Beijing. Biden is reported to be in an advanced stage to block the supplies of critical equipment to China with aims to eliminate the scope of Beijing to build on its chip making capabilities.

Agencies have reported that the US has almost agreed on a pact with Netherlands and Japan for control of the critical equipment supplies to China which are essential for making of the micro-chips used in the military hardware. Yet, the strategic experts are of the opinion that the US may be late in the day, for China may accelerate indigenous capabilities to make such equipment.

Japanese and Dutch companies have been the principal supplies of the chip making equipment to China. Since the visit for former US Congress Speaker Nensi Pelosi to Taiwan, there has been a concerted efforts on the parts of the western powers to check the ever expanding military prowess of China. Incidentally, Chinese President Xi Jinping had reiterated his stand for all means ambition to unify China, with full integration of Taiwan.

While Taiwan is the global chip manufacturing hub, there has been efforts of Taiwanese semi-conductor firms to set up bases in alternative locations, including Gujarat in India to protect the assets from unforeseen consequences in future if China decides to invade Taiwan. The strategic thinkers have long been arguing that the electronic warfare will tilt the balance in future wars.

The western power block is learnt to be checking their next-generation electronic warfare gadgets in the Ukraine battlefield. It has also been assessed that China has advanced electronic warfare capabilities, which may neutralize defence systems of Taiwan. The US-based military think tanks are also keeping a close watch on the Chinese military drill alongside the line of actual control (LAC) with India.

Since April 2020, China has amassed unprecedented military personnel across the LAC with aims to change the staus quo. The top Indian military brass has also assessed that there is a gradual scaling up of the military strength of China across the LAC. With China unrelenting on her ambition to expand geography, the US and its allies are contemplating additional measures which could limit the growing military prowess of China.

It has also been assessed that China will buy time to repair its economy before scaling up aggression with neighbouring countries, including allies of the US around the South China Sea. The Chinese economy is currently battered after a prolonged Covid restrictions which were recently lifted in the midst of the popular uprising against the Xi regime.