Joe Biden sends its nuclear submarine to Taiwan with several nuclear warheads as its rift with China widens. The US Navy is trying to bolster the president's image after a loss in Afghanistan.
The submarine went to a Pacific base in Guam during the weekend by the USS Nevada. Activity in the Indo-Pacific has heightened as the US moved to cover Taiwan as China has coerced the small nation daily.
US Navy's powerful sub makes appearance
The last visit by any ballistic missile submarine since 2016 in the US Pacific Island is also the second one publicly announced in four decades, noted CNN.
US Navy officials stated it improves collaboration and coordination between the US and its allies, demonstrating US capability, flexibility, readiness, and the US commitment to regional stability and security in the Indo-Pacific, reported Express UK.
The visit comes as animosity between Washington and Beijing over Taiwan's standing continuing to worsen, with the US endorsing the island's independence and China maintaining it as part of its territory.
Ever since the island's autonomy from 1949, when a separate government was proclaimed following the Chinese Civil War, Taiwan has been a source of tension for China.
Washington refutes Beijing's claim as a crucial ally in Asia, but a weakened USA does not easily dissuade the leadership.
President Joe Biden claims China wants to take the island, but the US has contested a drum beating to keep from losing its grip in the region.
Many are skeptical of the US and its intentions due to the fumble of Biden in Afghanistan, to the point of drafting a plan that is supposed to defend the island if the PLA invades its shores.
Shadow games in the Indo-Pacific
Recent sightings of a Chinese nuclear sub in the Taiwan Strait had started rumors that the Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) is readying for war.
Beijing has warned the US not to tempt it, or there will be consequences if it supports Taiwan. The US president said he would stop an invasion of the island, cited BBC.
American missile subs are a well-kept secret, and they move stealthily and are rarely broadcast. They can stay underwater for a long time and are not visible because it's how they operate. The visibility of the USS Nevada is a sign that the US Navy is trying to intimidate China in the Indo-Pacific region.
China only has six ballistic missile subs, which are the US has 14 of them, with a technological difference to their US counterparts. This was noted by a 2021 study by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in the US.
Even as the US military claimed it would have hypersonic missile technology, which has been beaten to the gun. For all intents, Beijing has the edge in this field.
In a town hall organized by CNN, President Biden claimed it has the edge over Russia and China. Developments by Russia and China in missile technology have been seen in successful launches.
Alessio Patalano, a specialist from King's College in London, said to expect more activities like this in the coming days.
Joe Biden is trying to flex and show China the resources to defend Taiwan as simulations have shown the US could lose in an actual conflict.
Related Article : Chinese Submarine Activity in the Taiwan Strait Spotted by Satellite As Tensions in the East China Sea Heightens
