New tool to help US forecast actions that could anger China

U.S. military commanders in the Pacific have developed software to predict how the Chinese government will react to U.S. actions in the region, including Congressional visits to hot spots like Taiwan. The news agency reports that Reuters.

Relations between China and the United States are at an all time high. The United States has repeatedly warned China that it does not agree with Xi Jinping’s treatment of Vietnam. In August called Kamala harris, Vice President of the United States, visiting Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, to take tougher measures against China’s actions in the South China Sea.

anticipate Chinese reactions

The US military now wants to predict when certain actions will offend China. This is why some US military commanders in the Pacific have developed a tool to predict such reactions. Kathleen Hicks, U.S. Under Secretary of Defense, was briefed on the new instrument during a visit to the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command in Hawaii on Tuesday. which pays Reuters.

“What you are seeing is the need to look at a much larger set of indicators, intertwine them and then understand the interplay between threats,” Hicks said in an interview aboard a military aircraft. bound for California. .

Strategic friction

The tool calculates “strategic friction”, according to a defense official. It examines data from the start of 2020 and assesses key activities that have impacted US-China relations. The computerized system will help the Pentagon predict whether certain actions will provoke an excessive Chinese response.

In October, the Chinese military condemned the United States and Canada for each sending a warship through the Taiwan Strait, saying they threatened peace and stability in the region. “This incident and other similar incidents have fueled demand for the instrument,” said the deputy minister. “The tool should ensure that the United States does not inadvertently provoke China.”

The new software will allow US officials to anticipate planned actions up to four months in advance.

(jvdh)