Chapter Six: Asia

摘要

Recent efforts throughout the Asia-Pacific to enhance military capabilities have focused on the maritime domain, reflecting growing disquiet over vulnerability to attack from the sea as well as concerns over natural resources, territorial claims and freedom of navigation. In some cases, these efforts have included bolstering sea-denial capacity, with the aim of complicating potential adversaries' naval deployments and operations. For instance, an important objective of China's growing maritime and air-warfare capabilities is the deterrence of United States naval deployments in its littoral waters. This is to be achieved, according to Western defence officials, by establishing an effective 'anti-access/area-denial' capacity that benefits from China's development of advanced anti-ship cruise missiles and over-the-horizon targeting.