China’s Neighbors On Red Alert Over Beijing’s Military Build-Up

China’s neighbors in the Pacific have become increasingly alarmed by Beijing’s recent militarism and are taking steps to prepare for potential conflict, according to multiple reports.

As Taiwan reportedly endures almost daily incursions into its airspace by the People’s Liberation Army, countries in China’s periphery, such as Japan, South Korea and Australia, are reportedly preparing for future armed conflict with China in light of the communist nation’s steady military build-up, multiple sources report.

Japan’s Prime Minister Kishida Fumio said earlier this month that his nation is prepared to obtain counterstrike capabilities and will release a new National Security Strategy by year end, the United States Naval Institute reported. Kishida said Japan faces an increasingly “severe security environment,” Japan’s foreign ministry reported.

Kishida made similar statements to President Joe Biden during his Tokyo visit in May, saying Japan intended to “fundamentally reinforce” its defenses, according to the White House.

South Korea’s new president, Yoon Suk-yeol, will meet NATO leaders as a partner nation this week in what will be Seoul’s first NATO summit, Voice of America News reported. At the summit, NATO is expected to release a Strategic Concept document redefining China as a “systemic challenge” to NATO, Bloomberg reported.

South Korea is also reportedly working to increase its defenses, having launched a domestically-built satellite on June 22, signaling the nation has the capability to launch spy satellites and larger missiles, NBC News reported. The satellite launch comes two months after South Korea’s air force unveiled a new prototype jet fighter, CNN reported.

A Department of Defense (DOD) spokesperson referred The Daily Caller News Foundation to multiple DOD readouts released during the Shangri-La Dialogue concerning trilateral relations between the U.S.-Japan-Australia and the U.S.-Japan-Republic of Korea to show that the U.S. and its Pacific counterparts had recently reaffirmed their strategic alliances. Among their agreements, the readouts state that the countries will increase joint military exercises with the U.S.

Meanwhile, 75% of Australians reportedly now believe that China will become a military threat to Australia within 20 years, according to a poll from Lowy Institute Tuesday, showing a 30% increase since 2018. The poll found that 32% of Australians view a military confrontation with China as “very likely,” while 43% believe conflict is “somewhat likely.”

Last month a Chinese fighter jet reportedly intercepted an Australian surveillance plane and released shards of metal into the plane’s engine, while the Australian Defense Force announced plans June 1 to develop advanced autonomous undersea vehicles.

The Chinese Embassy, the Embassy of Japan, the Embassy of the Republic of Korea, the Australian Embassy and the U.S. Navy did not respond immediately to TheDCNF’s request for comment.