U.S. and Philippines Gear Up for Possible Conflict with China

The U.S. and Philippine Marines are participating in military exercises as a potential preparation for conflict with China, given China’s ambitions to maintain control over Taiwan.

The objective is to utilize the Marines to establish a stronger presence in the region to prevent China from having a significant advantage in the event of a war.

“We maintain a presence to ensure that the door remains open for the rest of the joint force, reducing our vulnerability,” said Lt. Col. James Arnold, from the 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment’s anti-air battalion, in an interview with The Wall Street Journal. “Our focus is on developing effective and survivable tactics.”

The exercises are focused on training and strategic planning to potentially counter China’s military capabilities in the event of a conflict between the two nuclear powers.

The presence of Marines in the region allows the U.S. to complicate China’s military actions, according to Col. John Lehane, mentioned in the Journal, stating that China would need to allocate significant resources to track the Marines’ activities.

The U.S. military is constantly refining its strategy to deploy efficient and combat-ready forces with minimal logistics burden, Lehane added.

The deployment of Marines in the region forces China to divert its resources to monitor their movements, as noted by Benjamin Jensen from the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Jensen emphasized the importance of keeping Chinese military intelligence occupied and uncertain by continuously moving the Marines along the first island chain.

By forcing China to allocate resources to track the Marines, it creates a challenge for their military intelligence and ultimately keeps them guessing, Jensen explained.