China increases its military 'rehearsals' near Taiwan and surpasses the US in air, sea and space capabilities

A top U.S. military commander warned that China has significantly increased its military activities around Taiwan, stressing that these are not just routine exercises, but rather "rehearsals."

Admiral Samuel Paparo, commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, made this warning during a hearing with the Senate Armed Services Committee. According to Paparo, China's actions have increased 300%, indicating that Beijing's intentions go beyond military simulations.

"China's unprecedented aggression and military modernization poses a serious threat to the homeland, our allies and our partners," the commander noted.

Technological and military challenges for the U.S.

China's military buildup is not limited only to its actions around Taiwan. Paparo also stressed that China has surpassed the U.S. in several key aspects of military technology, including air, sea and space-based missiles.

"They built combatants at the rate of 6 to 1.8 to the United States," Paparo explained, highlighting the growing gap in shipbuilding capability. "We've got to get at the problems of why we don't have enough [of a] combat logistics force – and that's shipbuilding. Why we don't have enough labor," he said.

A global concern

China's increasing militarization has attracted growing international concern, with countries and global bodies worried about the implications this could have for regional security and international stability. Recently, ministers from Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, France, Italy and Japan, along with the high representative of the European Union, issued a joint communiqué expressing their "deep concern" over Chinese military maneuvers around Taiwan. The communiqué reiterated their opposition to "any unilateral action that threatens peace and stability, including through the use of force or coercion."