Really, it was just
musings addressed among all of my friends collectively called “Jack’s
Pack.” It had been in existence for perhaps a quarter century when I was
thrown off the Internet without warning. It coincided with my analyses
about Communist China’s erupting emergence upon the Western Civilization scene
with Xi Jinping’s New Silk Road. Hm-m-m! The MSM is ignoring the
gigantic move. Why?
Many of you are veterans who might have studied Admiral Alfred Mahan’s theories of sea
power, becoming familiar with trade routes affecting the entire world. Xi
Jinping seemingly has adopted that and added Marco Polo-like, similar land
trade routes through Central Asia, South Asia and even Africa.
Hopefully, by this time
you might have read some of my personal analyses of the One Belt, One Road
initiative of China’s Xi Jinping, otherwise known as the New Silk Road.
It’s a web being woven to encompass direct trade routes throughout Asia, Europe
and Africa with inroads to South America. Such a network of sea lanes and
rail lines interwoven with new highway routes would just about ensnare the
world except North America. The USA, in my analysis, would sink from
being the dominant world power simply by commerce and be relegated to Third
World status as consumers of goods and exporter of foodstuffs – a nation of
poor farmers sort of category.
Mahan’s sea lanes as
applied to the Communist Chinese would be mainly China’s East Coast
manufacturing complex through its newly-fortified South China Sea, through the
Straits of Malacca, the Indian Ocean, Bab al Mandeb and the Red Sea. The
Indian Ocean would become a Chinese lake with PLAN bases possibly at
Chittagong, Bangladesh; certainly at Hambantota, Sri Lanka; Jiwani, Pakistan;
and Djibouti. Commercial Chi-Com sea ports are underway in the Aegean
Sea, the Adriatic, the Red Sea at Port Sudan and Gwadar, Pakistan.
To continue: I would
like to hear from each of you.
Have I overstudied the
move or are the Chi-Comms our real nemesis in the global scheme of geopolitics?
China is funding (with the American dollars we pay for the ubiquitous “Made in
China” consumer everything) new high speed rail
lines in southern Europe. New trans-African railroad is being constructed
from which a whole network will deliver consumer goods and ship Africa’s raw
materials back to Chinese manufactories. The initial line stretches from
Port Sudan all the way to Dakar, Senegal.
Yet, the MSM is still
screaming, “The Russians Are Coming!”
The new land-port at
Khorgos connecting China with Kazakhstan is amazing.
Again, it applies Mahan’s
theories to land routes opening highways to Gwadar via the Khunjerab Pass in
Pakistan as well as an alternate route via Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, and southward
to Gwadar. That the major port of Gwadar is indeed a Chi-Com exclave is
indicated by the Chinese yuan being accepted there as is the Paki rupee.
Next, follow the hotel
chains, mostly American, which have followed or preceded the New Silk Road by
Googling the various land routes ever westward from China to Western Civilization
nations.
Marlene and I would love
to hear your thoughts on our fears for a future America, keeping in mind that
the Orient plans in decades and generations while the West plans in four-year
administrative increments.
Are we bats or fruitcakes
or are we seeing something perhaps too dire for Joe Sixpack’s consumption?
massacheepjack and M5.
What Beijing is
Building in the South China Sea
Stratfor has obtained satellite imagery of Mischief Reef in the South China
Sea, and we show in this visual analysis what China is putting in place
Since China began its extensive land reclamation program in the South China Sea
in 2013, Beijing has focused on improving its presence and infrastructure at
seven locations in the Spratly Island chain: Cuarteron Reef, Fiery Cross,
Gaven, Hughes, Johnson, Mischief and Subi reefs. Of the seven locations, the
Fiery Cross, Mischief and Subi reefs received particular attention in the form
of large-scale airfields built there. Over time, China has also added harbors,
barracks, radar and other sensors. This is in addition to communications
equipment, storage bunkers and general infrastructure installed across all seven
islands. Stratfor partners at AllSource Analysis have provided imagery that
confirms mobile electronic warfare (EW) equipment was recently deployed to
Mischief Reef.
Beijing deployed EW equipment to prepared positions in Mischief Reef,
consisting of 13 concrete pads located between an airfield to the north and
what is probably a motor pool area in the southeast. The imagery shows that two
camouflaged vehicles, most likely mobile EW systems, were moved to the
deployment site as recently as March 13. The imagery indicates that China
likely engaged in periodic training at the airfield for mobile electronic
warfare operations during February and March of 2018.
Satellite imagery showing how China has deployed electronic warfare assets to
the Spratly Island chain in the South China Sea. <https://www.stratfor.com/sites/default/files/styles/wv_small/public/china-spratly-islands-electronic-warfare-satellite-imagery-focal-point-042718.png?itok=0oaTJiJx>
The recent addition of mobile equipment for electronic warfare to Mischief Reef
adds to the already-extensive electronic network on the reef. To the southeast,
China has constructed what is probably a high-frequency, direction-finding
antenna array installation which could be used to collect electronic or signals
intelligence from transmissions by aircraft or ships in the region, as well as
to detect stealth aircraft. North of the island, China has also built what is
probably an inter-island communication tower with an associated antenna array
similar to the ones found at Cuarteron, Hughes, Johnson South and Gaven reefs.
On top of that, China constructed a Doppler very high-frequency omnidirectional
range (DVOR) radio system adjacent to the airfield on Mischief Reef. DVOR
systems provide short-range navigation information for aircraft without using
satellite navigation data.
These developments are yet another example of China reinforcing its territorial
claims in the region.
The deployment of EW equipment is particularly notable because the gear could
be used to harass and jam the electronic equipment of various actors in the
South China Sea, including the United States. In fact, the equipment deployed
to Mischief Reef could have already been used for this purpose. A recent
statement from a U.S. Navy pilot, for example, alluded to an incident in recent
weeks when his aircraft was likely jammed by Chinese electronic equipment. As
Beijing continues to build up its capabilities across the South China Sea,
tools like electronic warfare equipment will make the country better positioned
to continue asserting its territorial claims in the region.
