[By Guancha Net, Qi Qian] After the Trump administration came to power, it cut budgets of various government agencies, making the US military more anxious.

Recently, during his participation in the fiscal year 2026 Congressional hearing, Samuel Paparo, commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command, in order to secure the budget, heavily played the "China card". He stated that China is producing aircraft and warships at a much faster pace than the US military, and is also far ahead in the development and application of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence. He believes that within the "first island chain", China has already gained the capability to prevent the US from achieving air superiority.

According to a report by US media Business Insider on April 19th, at the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing held on the 10th, Paparo gave "high marks" to China's ability to prevent the US from gaining air superiority within the first island chain.

Paparo told the attending senators that China's current fighter jet production rate is 1.2 times that of the United States. While operating a large number of older aircraft models, China continues to develop new aircraft. He also claimed that China's "advanced" long-range air-to-air missiles also pose a "significant threat" to the US military.

US Indo-Pacific Command chief Samuel Paparo attended the hearing on the 10th Video screenshot

Paparo hyped up the notion that giving up air superiority in the first island chain is not an option for the US military, as it would weaken the US military's ability to resist adversaries and support allies. He emphasized: "My responsibility is to contest air superiority, protect forces on the first island chain... and provide an air superiority window to achieve our effects."

However, he also admitted that in the event of a conflict, neither the Chinese nor US militaries would be able to achieve air superiority or complete control.

The so-called first island chain is a product of Cold War geopolitics, referring to the strategically significant archipelago in East Asia, stretching from the Japanese Islands and Ryukyu Islands in the north, through Taiwan Island, to the Philippines and the Greater Sunda Islands in the south.

According to the US military definition, air superiority means conducting aerial operations without facing threats from enemy air forces and missiles, and having the freedom to carry out actions in a specific time and space. The highest level of air superiority is air supremacy.

At the hearing, Paparo reiterated the concerns of the Trump administration regarding the "lagging speed of US naval ship construction."

He cited data indicating that China's speed of building naval combat ships compared to the United States is approximately 6 to 1.8, which is about three times faster than the US. He added that drone systems might serve as a temporary solution for the insufficient number of US warships, with the Pentagon massively researching expendable and affordable drones, but this work is still ongoing.

Paparo claimed that predicting possible military actions by China "occupies my working hours." He stated that in recent years, there has been an astonishing growth in China's military strength. "Over the past 20 years, their military scale has increased 10 to 15 times," he said.

In his prepared statement for the hearing, Paparo not only mentioned China's continuously growing military power but also its advancements in cutting-edge technologies, namely artificial intelligence, hypersonic and advanced missiles, and space capabilities. He said: "Not only has China surpassed the United States in testing these key technologies, but it has also surpassed the United States in terms of technological foundations in its military industries."

Then, Paparo turned his tone, using hackneyed phrases such as "aggressive", "more confident", and "more aggressive" to hype the "China threat", while hyping issues related to the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait, attempting to interfere in China's internal affairs. He specifically mentioned recent joint exercises conducted by the Chinese People's Liberation Army around Taiwan Island and claimed that the range, scale, and complexity of PLA exercises have increased in recent years, going beyond mere demonstrations of force.

On April 2nd, the Eastern Theater Command conducted joint exercises around Taiwan Island Video screenshot

From April 1st to 2nd, the Chinese People's Liberation Army Eastern Theater Command successfully completed all tasks of the joint exercises, comprehensively testing the integrated joint combat capabilities of the troops. Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Guo Jiaqun, stated that the relevant joint exercises conducted by China were a serious warning and strong deterrence against "Taiwan independence" separatist forces, and were proper and necessary actions to defend national sovereignty and maintain national unity.

Guo Jiaqun pointed out that Taiwan is an inseparable part of China's territory. The Taiwan issue is purely China's internal affair, and no external interference is allowed. The Democratic Progressive Party authorities stubbornly adhere to the "Taiwan independence" position, attempting to "rely on external forces for independence" and split the country, which is like trying to stop a moving cart with one's arms and is destined to fail. The historical trend that China will inevitably reunify and must reunify cannot be stopped.

After the Trump administration came to power in January, it sought to enhance shipbuilding capabilities and revitalize the US shipbuilding industry to counter China's dominance in shipbuilding. After nearly two months of deliberation, the Office of the US Trade Representative finally took action on April 17th, releasing an amended version of the Chinese shipbuilding fee schedule, claiming to impose high fees on all Chinese vessels docked at US ports.

Before this, Trump's "poisonous scheme" had caused widespread dissatisfaction across various industries in the United States. Representatives from hundreds of shipping, export, and agricultural industries warned that this measure would backfire, severely damaging the US economy and potentially adding billions of dollars in extra costs for US shipping companies.

In addition, some British media warned that if tensions further escalate, the US measures might provoke China to adopt reciprocal port fee countermeasures, or even larger-scale and more severe retaliatory measures, posing a greater risk of fragmentation to global trade.

This article is an exclusive piece by Guancha Net, and unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7494913810668421672/

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