China Not War-Ready Against US for Decade, Says Former NATO Commander

Former NATO supreme allied commander and retired US Navy Admiral James Stavridis believes China will not be militarily ready to fight the US for 10 years. Stavridis said on The Michael Medved Show that China is building its naval capabilities but is not ready to challenge the US Pacific Fleet. Stavridis led NATO from 2009 to 2013 and has military expertise.

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China’s Naval Might vs. US Alliances: Stavridis Weighs in on Geopolitical Dynamics

A 2021 US Fleet Institute research found that China had the world’s largest fleet with 355 warships. Despite this, Stavridis claims that China’s shipbuilding capacity, 232 times bigger than the US, would not be enough given US military alliances. Stavridis observed that the US had treaty allies including Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Australia, and New Zealand sworn to fight together in a war. He noted that these partners’ combined firepower may considerably affect a fight.

In 2021, Stavridis co-wrote “2034: A Novel of the Next World War,” a fictionalized US-China South China Sea war scenario. He said in the radio interview that China is developing a large naval fleet and acting aggressively, but it is not ready to meet the US Pacific Fleet.

Despite US-China military events over the previous year, Stavridis stressed that a war would not be limited to the two states. According to existing accords, US treaty allies would greatly impact the conflict. Stavridis cited Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Australia, and New Zealand as powerful allies for collective defense.

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Alliance Deterrence and Diplomacy Amid Geopolitical Complexities

Stavridis believes the alliance’s deterrent gives the US a “bit of a grace period” to improve its military. He also stressed the necessity of diplomacy in lowering US-China tensions. Even after these judgments, Stavridis and the Chinese foreign ministry did not react to demands for comment.

Stavridis’ insights highlight the complicated geopolitical landscape, the relevance of military alliances in conflict outcomes, and the need for diplomatic initiatives to maintain global security.

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