Evidence of the latter point is readily observable in the South China Sea, where dredgers have been busy for months building man-made islands atop reefs in the Spratlys much to the chagrin of Washington and its regional allies.<\/span><\/p>\n Then there was the PLA\u2019s unexpected arrival in Yemen back in March when a naval frigate showed up in Aden and evacuated 225 foreign nationals.<\/span><\/p>\n Chinese nuclear submarine in nuclear safety drill at the Qingdao naval base in Shangdong province, eastern China.<\/p><\/div>\n And who can forget the five ships that cruised by<\/a><\/strong><\/span> just 12 miles off the coast of Alaska as Obama toured the state.<\/span><\/p>\n As if all of that wasn\u2019t enough, at least one commander in Bashar al-Assad\u2019s Syrian Arab Army now claims<\/a><\/strong><\/span> Chinese personnel are on their way to Latakia.<\/span><\/p>\n All of this comes as Beijing rolls out a new maritime initiative as outlined in the government\u2019s 2015 defense strategy white paper. Here\u2019s an excerpt from the report:<\/span><\/p>\n In line with the strategic requirement of offshore waters defense and open seas protection, the PLA Navy (PLAN) will gradually shift its focus from “offshore waters defense” to the combination of “offshore waters defense” with “open seas protection,” and build a combined, multi-functional and efficient marine combat force structure. <\/strong>The PLAN will enhance its capabilities for strategic deterrence and counterattack, maritime maneuvers, joint operations at sea, comprehensive defense and comprehensive support.<\/em><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Now, even as Xi Jinping makes the rounds in the US and attempts to provide the American public with some clarity on a number of issues not the least of which is cyber security, the Pentagon says China is set to deploy a nuclear submarine armed with JL-2 missiles that have the range to hit the US. Here\u2019s Bloomberg with the story<\/a><\/strong><\/span>:<\/span><\/p>\n A new Chinese nuclear submarine designed to carry missiles that can hit the U.S. will likely deploy before year\u2019s end, the Pentagon said, adding to Obama administration concerns over China\u2019s muscle-flexing in Asia.<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n China\u2019s navy is expected this year to conduct the first patrol of its Jin-class nuclear-powered submarine armed with JL-2 submarine-launched ballistic missiles, the Pentagon\u2019s Defense Intelligence Agency said in a statement. It declined to give its level of confidence on when the new boat will be deployed or the status of the missile.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe capability to maintain continuous deterrent patrols is a big milestone for a nuclear power,\u201d <\/strong>Larry Wortzel, a member of the congressionally created U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, said in an e-mail. \u201cI think the Chinese would announce this capability as a show of strength and for prestige.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n Wortzel said his commission\u2019s 2015 report probably will include a comment from PLA Navy Commander Admiral Wu Shengli, who said the submarine-missile combination is \u201ca trump card that makes our motherland proud and our adversaries terrified.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n China\u2019s increased naval might, as well as its assertion to territory in the contested South China Sea and East China Sea, has helped spur the region\u2019s largest military buildup in decades and caused disquiet in the U.S. about its role as the region\u2019s peace keeper.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n China currently has at least four Jin-class submarines. Fifty-one years after the country carried out its first nuclear test, patrols by the new submarines will give Xi greater agility to respond to a nuclear attack, according to analysts.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOf all the PLA strategic deterrence capabilities, the sea-based link is the most closely guarded secret because it is meant to be the most secure of the deterrents for China,\u201d said Koh, who studies China\u2019s naval modernization.\u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n The JL-2 \u201chas nearly three times the range\u201d of China\u2019s current sea-launched ballistic missile \u201cwhich was only able to range targets in the immediate vicinity of China,\u201d the U.S. Office of Naval Intelligence said in an April report on China\u2019s Navy. The JL-2 \u201cunderwent successful testing in 2012 and is likely ready to enter the force,\u201d it said. \u201cOnce deployed it will provide China with a capability to strike targets\u201d in the continental U.S., it said.<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n For those curious, here is the JL-2 in action:<\/span><\/p>\n![\"Chinese](\"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Chinese-nuclear-sub-in-nuclear-safety-drill-at-the-Qingdao-submarine-base-in-Shangdong-province.jpg\")
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