China pursues regional military dominance through missiles and sea denial
Updated
Updated · 19FortyFive · May 2
China pursues regional military dominance through missiles and sea denial
12 articles · Updated · 19FortyFive · May 2
The strategy centres on Taiwan, the South China Sea and the first and second island chains, using A2/AD systems and missiles such as the DF-21D.
The report argues Beijing seeks to make the Western Pacific too costly for US forces to defend, favouring cheaper land-based denial over a globally expeditionary military.
It says control over Asian sea lanes carrying $3tn-$5tn in annual trade could give China wider economic leverage, while US planners risk misallocating resources by treating China as a Soviet-style global challenger.
Could China's new long-range missiles force the U.S. to rethink its entire Pacific military strategy before a crisis erupts?
With China leveraging both economic and military tools regionally, is the U.S. focusing on the wrong threats in the Western Pacific?
How might the U.S. and its allies counter China's expanding gray zone tactics and missile threat without escalating to open conflict?
The 2026 Indo-Pacific Military Balance: China’s Missile and Naval Buildup Versus U.S. and Allied Agile Defense
Overview
In April 2026, China escalated military activities in the Indo-Pacific by erecting a floating barrier at Scarborough Shoal and conducting large naval exercises threatening Taiwan’s sea lines. These assertive moves, rooted in China's broad sovereignty claims over the South China Sea and Taiwan, prompted the U.S. and its allies to shift toward a more agile and dispersed force posture, deploying advanced missile systems and integrating allied airpower, exemplified by Dutch F-35s training in Japan. Rising tensions have spurred regional responses, including Japan’s defense policy review. Meanwhile, China’s growing missile arsenal, advanced submarines, and space-based surveillance create formidable Anti-Access/Area Denial challenges, which the U.S. counters through technological innovation, alliance cooperation, and enhanced missile defenses to maintain regional stability.