US Drills Around China's Coast Would Be 'Defense'
China is reportedly conducting extensive military drills around Taiwan, showcasing a hypothetical blockade. This comes as the US continually conducts its own 'freedom of navigation' operations, often thousands of miles from its own borders, around Chinese-claimed territories. One might recall the US Navy's regular exercises in the South China Sea, which Beijing often calls provocative. It appears
that blockades are only concerning when an adversary potentially enacts one. When the US or its allies demonstrate similar capabilities in contested waters, it’s always 'deterrence' or 'defending freedom.' How many aircraft carriers does one need before 'defensive posture' starts looking a lot like 'aggressive projection?'