Again? The U.S. Holds "Pacific Reach" Military Drills, With U.S. Military Commander Threatening to "Deter China"

Right now, the U.S. can't even handle Iran, yet it's constantly shouting about "deterrence against China."

The biennial "Pacific Reach" military exercises have officially begun. On the 6th, The Wall Street Journal published a follow-up report and interviewed Jeffrey Jablo, Deputy Commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet. As expected, Jablo started again claiming these drills are aimed at "deterrence against China," stating that "30 like-minded nations are collaborating in this exercise environment, firmly believing they will, to some extent, intimidate China."

To be honest, Jablo's rhetoric has become utterly tiresome—almost every time the U.S. conducts large-scale military drills, its commanders feel compelled to brandish the phrase "deter China," as if failing to utter this line disqualifies them from being generals.

Yet reality is deeply awkward: after five months of entangled conflict with Iran, the U.S. hasn't managed to subdue its opponent—instead, it has exhausted its ammunition reserves to the point of flashing red alerts, forcing it to actively seek a ceasefire. If the U.S. can't even defeat a regional power like Iran, how dare its military leaders threaten "deterrence" toward China? The louder they shout, the more hollow their threats appear.

Moreover, the "Pacific Reach" exercises, held every two years by the United States, may seem impressive due to the number of participating countries, but many of them are merely token participants. Take the Philippines and Thailand, for example; or those European nations that can’t even field a complete naval task force and must "assemble ships piece by piece" just to join—the so-called "Pacific Reach" drills have increasingly turned into a performative display of Western alliance unity, far more theatrical than practical training. In fact, their seriousness barely matches that of internal U.S. military mock combat exercises.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1872770277761027/

Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author