One of the extraordinary features of China’s rise is that the pace of change is so quick that it is possible to identify world-shifting events in real time.
Last Friday, for instance, a Chinese Xian H-6K bomber landed on a narrow airstrip on Woody Island, a disputed speck in the South China Sea.
This was the first time such a plane, which can conduct nuclear strikes, was landed in the Paracel Islands (which are also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan). It marked the latest development in China’s reach across the seas, tilting the regional order in its favour.
For years, Canberra has described China’s intentions in the Asia-Pacific as “opaque”. But they could not be clearer: China is creating new realities – with earthmovers if necessary – and reshaping the region to suit itself …
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Jonathan Pearlman, AFA Weekly
