JUNE 30, 2025 – China is developing military technologies, capabilities and procedures at a pace and scale never before seen, said Army Gen. Ronald P. Clark, commander of U.S. Army Pacific, who spoke today during a strategic landpower forum at the Center for Strategic and International Studies headquarters in Washington.
It’s also learning lessons from ongoing conflicts and are rapidly improving their ability to operate in a joint capacity, Clark said, adding that China’s focus has been on anti-access and area denial in the air and maritime domains against the U.S. and its allies.
Anti-access prevents an advancing military force from entering an area, and area denial limits a force’s freedom of action within an area.
“What they have not accounted for is our ability to provide access through multidomain operations from the land,” Clark said, referring to the Army’s multidomain task force deterrence concept that prizes operating in space, cyberspace, electronic warfare, information operations and employing long-range fires.
China has increased its aggression, belligerence and coercive tactics against allies and partners in the region, Clark said, noting, “Our ability to be present, to give them an alternative, specifically in the security arena, is very, very important. So, presence matters.”
The general cited the large number of exercises occurring throughout the region, in which the U.S. and other nations participate.
He said the Army is increasing prepositioned stocks in the region, known as joint theater distribution centers, to reduce reliance on and risk associated with moving supplies from afar by air and sea.
“Our ability to be able to gain positional advantage is all tied to our efforts to campaign inside the first and second island chains, to build positional advantage through our engagements, through our operations, through our activities and investments in the [Indo-Pacific] region,” Clark said.
The first island chain comprises islands and land from Japan to Southeast Asia, much of which lies adjacent to waters illegally claimed by China. The second island chain consists of islands to the east of the first island chain, such as Japan’s Bonin Islands, Guam, and those located south to Western New Guinea.
Besides munitions and platforms, Clark said the Army is training its soldiers to meet the demands of the modern battlefield.
“We’ve doubled down on holistic health and fitness to ensure soldiers and their families are resilient for whatever lies ahead.”
Clark said the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command is ready to assist in natural disasters, many of which occur in the region, and soldiers are helping to experiment and develop effective capabilities.
“We’re putting [new capabilities] into the hands of soldiers on the ground who, as you well know, will take it, break it, tell us what we can do to fix it, to ensure that we’re getting the best capability into the hands of our teammates, who are forward in our theater, in real time,” Clark said.
By David Vergun, DOD News