John McCain National Defense Authorization Act 2019


 

The Senate passed the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act on August 1, 2018.

This act is intended to curb the expansion of China's influence in the South China Sea, and China's challenge in the high-tech industries (Made in China 2025). The latter is viewed as an existential threat to US technological leadership.

Trump described China as a strategic "competitor".

NATO began to align with US Indo-Pacific priorties.

a view of South China Sea from Hong Kong

 

The Congress requires Department of Defense to face new threats (allocated $686 billion)

how to face new threats from strategic competitors like China and Russia

1. prohibits Government and all firms supplying products to government from using technologies by Huawei and ZTE. Huawei is a Chinese multinational telecommunications company headquartered in Shenzhen. Huawei is the second largest smarphone manufacturer in the world (#1 = Samsung, #3 = Apple). ZTE was fined $1 billion for illegally exporting US technology to Iran and North Korea.

ZTE = Zongxing Telecommunication Equipment Corporation.

2. to develop comprehensive policy (whole of government strategy) to contain China's strategies (e.g., cyber attacks).

3. Secretary of Defense to submit 5-year plan for an " Indo-Pacific Stability Initiative"

(USPACOM → (changed to) USINDOPACOM (May 30, 2018) in recognition of the increasing connectivity between the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

4. extends authority for the Maritime Security Initiative (MSI) in Southeast Asia for an additional 5 years

5. Enhances India's status as major defense partner.

6. excludes China from RIMPAC (The Rim of the Pacific) naval exercise (until China stops building artificial islands). RIMPAC is the world's largest international maritime war exercise. China was disinvited in RIMPAC 2018 because of recent militarization of the islands in the South China Sea.

7. requires a public report on China's military and coercive activity in South China Sea.

8. Supports improving Taiwan's defense capabilities, and expands joint US-Taiwan military exercise.

9. requires Annual report to Congress (military and security developments)

e.g., China's malign activities, predatory lending practices.

10. (China has established Confucius Institute in many universities.) Congress limits DOD funds to universities that sponsor Confucius Institutes. (U of Chicago outsted CI to maintain academic freedom.)

  Duterte dares US to send the entire 7th Fleet (CNN Philippines, July 2019)
 


US carrier Ronald Ragan (nuclear powered)

US 7th fleet stationed in Yokosuka, Japan, consists of 70-80 ships and submarines, 140 aircraft and 40,000 sailors.

   

 

  Freedom of Navigation
 

FON is a principle of international law stating that ships flying the flag of any sovereign stat shall be free of interference from other states.

"freedom of movement for vessels, freedom to enter ports, to load and unload goods and to transport goods and passengers."

respect territorial waters plus 12 nautical miles. (used to be 3, but countries gradually are claiming more.)

UK, France, Germany, Japan, and the US regularly FON operations in South China Sea. China complains.

Arctic Council

8 member states signed Arctic Environmental Protection Strategy in 1996

Canada, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Russia, Sweden, USA

 

ice sheets near North Pole