[…] As if to underscore this point, China chose July 6—the day before the NATO summit began in Ankara—to test and fire a long-range ballistic missile from a nuclear submarine, which landed in the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone. The launch of a missile capable of reaching the continental U.S. drew attention to China’s massive military buildup and its growing capacity to threaten American cities should Washington come to the aid of regional allies in a conflict with Beijing. The missile test may be a demonstration of China’s new capability, but it is also a reminder of a longstanding threat.
Washington and several U.S. allies in the Asia-Pacific criticized the “irresponsible” test. Still, the episode reinforced allies’ longstanding concerns about the effectiveness and reliability of the U.S. security guarantees to deter an ever more powerful China. What are American allies and partners supposed to do about it? The answers vary across the region, but every answer points toward a stronger American role. […]
The Iran war has only deepened this fear. The U.S. redeployment of missile-defense interceptors from South Korea to the Middle East stung Seoul. Allies and partners worry that promised arms shipments may not arrive on time, as the war burns through U.S. stockpiles and Washington prioritizes its own military requirements. Some have stepped up to build their own weapons and are contributing to America’s war supplies. Australia fired its first domestically built guided rockets at a test range in April, while Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan are setting up new production lines for missiles of their own. Läs artikel