CHINA ON THE MARCH – AT 9:56 A.M. ET:   For some reason we seem not to focus often on the dramatic strides China is making in military strength and technological quality.  Most Americans are probably not aware that China has an active, imaginative space program.  From Parabolic Arc: 

A white paper outlining China’s space policy for the next five years calls for a sample return mission to the moon, a landing on the far side of Earth’s closest neighbor, and the launch of an orbiter and lander to Mars by 2020.

China will also begin constructing a permanent space station and research and development work on a heavy-lift launcher, reusable boosters and satellite servicing systems.

The nation also wants to expand international cooperation in areas that include remote sensing, space applications, lunar and planetary exploration, and human spaceflight.

“In the next five years China will, with a more active and open attitude, conduct extensive international exchanges and cooperation concerning space,” the white paper states.

Because Chinese officials have been much more open about the nation’s space plans in recent years, the document does not contain much that’s new. It does provide a comprehensive overview of the country’s plans for the next five years.

COMMENT:  The Chinese are ambitious, and have built an enormous industrial base.  While China is plagued with many problems, its sheer size and competence give the Chinese the means to challenge American hegemony in the Western Pacific, and to threaten American allies like South Korea, Japan, and the Philippines.

President Obama promised a "pivot" to Asia in his foreign policy, but I haven't seen much of it.  We will need a larger Navy to increase our leverage in the region, and that has been pledged by President-elect Trump. 

December 30, 2016