US is building a fortress around China. Its shrinking missile stocks could be the weak link

The United States is constructing a defensive perimeter around China, but its dwindling missile stocks may prove to be a vulnerability. Tensions in the Pacific have caused Washington to face a shortage of certain precision weapons that would be necessary for a potential clash with Beijing in the broader Indo-Pacific region. Both the US and China are striving to enhance their military strength in relation to one another. The Pentagon has revitalized dormant airbases from the Pacific War and upgraded operational bases.

America's strategy involves containing Chinese forces within the first island chain, which is secured by US allies such as Japan, Taiwan, and the Philippines. The US intends to launch attacks from bases in Guam, the Caroline Islands, and Tinian, as per the US Naval Institute, located on the grounds of the US Naval Academy. Conversely, China is bolstering its rocket force, which houses its tactical and strategic weapon-carrying missiles.

This includes targeting US bases and airfields with long-range ballistic missiles and hypersonic glide vehicles, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington DC.

The US is countering China's advances by dispersing its forces across smaller islands in the Pacific to create a larger target for Chinese missile operators. As the world heads towards another great power rivalry, both nations are developing measures to counter each other, similar to the US and USSR during the Cold War. The US, like the USSR, has entered an arms race, while China has focused on technologies like ballistic missiles and hypersonic weapons to deter the US.