BEIJING, November 28. /TASS/. Chinese experts have compared Washington's intention to deploy new medium-range missile launchers in the Asia-Pacific Region in 2024 with the circumstances that triggered the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, the Global Times newspaper has said.
Chinese analysts believe that the confrontation between the Soviet Union and the US during the Cold War and the current surge in tensions in the APR are "similar in nature."
They also note that by increasing the number of medium-range missiles in Asia, the US "demonstrates the US' determination to interfere in the Taiwan issue."
In particular, Chinese military expert Song Zhongping told the daily that the deployment of US missiles in the Asia-Pacific Region has allegedly become an integral part of Washington's military strategy. He specified that the US was attracting more and more allies to this project, as well as increasing the number of weapons deployed near China. These include Tomahawk cruise missiles, but Washington could potentially move medium-range ballistic missiles to Asia as well. Song also called the US plans "a big provocation politically" as it means the US has completely abandoned compliance with bilateral agreements with China on arms control.
The daily recalls that earlier US Army General Charles Flynn announced the transfer of medium-range Standard Missile 6 (SM-6) and Tomahawk missiles to the Asia-Pacific Region, scheduled for 2024. He did not disclose the specific timing or location of the deployment. Global Times notes that the US was previously prevented from deploying nuclear and conventional ground-launched ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and missile launchers with ranges of 500 to 5,500 kilometers under the terms of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty signed in 1987. However, former US President Donald Trump announced the US' withdrawal from the treaty in 2019 and for the first time launched a missile deployment program in the Asia-Pacific as part of his strategy to deter China. The current deployment of new weapons indicates that the US is preparing for the worst-case scenario - a military conflict between China and the US, the newspaper concludes.