U.S. Asia–Pacific Strategic Considerations Related to People’S Liberation Army Naval Forces Modernization
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i [H.A.S.C. No. 113–71] U.S. ASIA–PACIFIC STRATEGIC CONSIDERATIONS RELATED TO PEOPLE’S LIBERATION ARMY NAVAL FORCES MODERNIZATION HEARING BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON SEAPOWER AND PROJECTION FORCES OF THE COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ONE HUNDRED THIRTEENTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION HEARING HELD DECEMBER 11, 2013 U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 86–078 WASHINGTON : 2014 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, http://bookstore.gpo.gov. For more information, contact the GPO Customer Contact Center, U.S. Government Printing Office. Phone 202–512–1800, or 866–512–1800 (toll-free). E-mail, [email protected]. SUBCOMMITTEE ON SEAPOWER AND PROJECTION FORCES J. RANDY FORBES, Virginia, Chairman K. MICHAEL CONAWAY, Texas MIKE MCINTYRE, North Carolina DUNCAN HUNTER, California JOE COURTNEY, Connecticut E. SCOTT RIGELL, Virginia JAMES R. LANGEVIN, Rhode Island STEVEN M. PALAZZO, Mississippi RICK LARSEN, Washington ROBERT J. WITTMAN, Virginia HENRY C. ‘‘HANK’’ JOHNSON, JR., Georgia MIKE COFFMAN, Colorado COLLEEN W. HANABUSA, Hawaii JON RUNYAN, New Jersey DEREK KILMER, Washington KRISTI L. NOEM, South Dakota SCOTT H. PETERS, California PAUL COOK, California HEATH BOPE, Professional Staff Member DOUGLAS BUSH, Professional Staff Member NICHOLAS RODMAN, Clerk (II) C O N T E N T S CHRONOLOGICAL LIST OF HEARINGS 2013 Page HEARING: Wednesday, December 11, 2013, U.S. Asia-Pacific Strategic Considerations Related to People’s Liberation Army Naval Forces Modernization ................. 1 APPENDIX: Wednesday, December 11, 2013 ............................................................................. 23 WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2013 U.S. ASIA–PACIFIC STRATEGIC CONSIDERATIONS RELATED TO PEOPLE’S LIBERATION ARMY NAVAL FORCES MODERNIZATION STATEMENTS PRESENTED BY MEMBERS OF CONGRESS Forbes, Hon. J. Randy, a Representative from Virginia, Chairman, Sub- committee on Seapower and Projection Forces .................................................. 1 WITNESSES Cropsey, Dr. Seth, Senior Fellow, Hudson Institute ............................................ 6 Erickson, Dr. Andrew, Associate Professor, China Maritime Studies Institute, U.S. Naval War College ....................................................................................... 2 O’Rourke, Ronald, Specialist in Naval Affairs, Congressional Research Serv- ice .......................................................................................................................... 4 Thomas, Jim, Vice President and Director of Studies, Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments ............................................................................... 9 APPENDIX PREPARED STATEMENTS: Cropsey, Dr. Seth ............................................................................................. 67 Erickson, Dr. Andrew ....................................................................................... 31 Forbes, Hon. J. Randy ...................................................................................... 27 McIntyre, Hon. Mike ........................................................................................ 29 O’Rourke, Ronald .............................................................................................. 47 Thomas, Jim ...................................................................................................... 74 DOCUMENTS SUBMITTED FOR THE RECORD: [There were no Documents submitted.] WITNESS RESPONSES TO QUESTIONS ASKED DURING THE HEARING: [There were no Questions submitted during the hearing.] QUESTIONS SUBMITTED BY MEMBERS POST HEARING: Mr. Forbes ......................................................................................................... 89 Mr. Langevin ..................................................................................................... 105 (III) U.S. ASIA–PACIFIC STRATEGIC CONSIDERATIONS RE- LATED TO PEOPLE’S LIBERATION ARMY NAVAL FORCES MODERNIZATION HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES, SUBCOMMITTEE ON SEAPOWER AND PROJECTION FORCES, Washington, DC, Wednesday, December 11, 2013. The subcommittee met, pursuant to call, at 4:34 p.m., in room 2118, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. J. Randy Forbes (chair- man of the subcommittee) presiding. OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. J. RANDY FORBES, A REP- RESENTATIVE FROM VIRGINIA, CHAIRMAN, SUBCOMMITTEE ON SEAPOWER AND PROJECTION FORCES Mr. FORBES. I would like to welcome everyone to our Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee hearing today on the People’s Liberation Army [PLA] naval modernization efforts. This is a con- tinuation of the Asia-Pacific oversight series that the full com- mittee kicked off last month. I want to apologize to our witnesses for the delay, based on those votes, but thank you for your patience. In just a few weeks, recent developments in the East China Sea have demonstrated that improving our understanding of regional events and key players is critical to assuring our allies and part- ners of U.S. commitment to the region and protecting U.S. inter- ests. Tensions in the East and South China Seas have been ongo- ing now for several years as China attempts to exert its influence in claiming land, sea, and airspace that is clearly beyond their internationally recognized borders. While naval modernization is a natural development for any seafaring nation such as China, it is clear the modernization is emboldening the Chinese Government to exert their interests by bullying their neighbors and pushing back the United States in the Asia-Pacific region. Therefore, it is also critical that we exercise congressional oversight of those requisite U.S. Navy capabilities that will be needed to counter any anti-ac- cess and area-denial capabilities the PLA Navy is rapidly devel- oping as they modernize and expand their fleet. We also must understand how to engage with the PLA Navy in a manner that is constructive for all parties involved and dem- onstrates respect and adherence to established international norms of maritime conduct. I hope our witnesses can provide insight to these key issues. I would like to thank our distinguished panel of witnesses for ap- pearing before the subcommittee today. And we have testifying be- fore us Dr. Andrew Erickson, associate professor at the China Mar- itime Studies Institute of the U.S. Naval War College; Mr. Ronald (1) 2 O’Rourke, specialist in naval affairs at the Congressional Research Service; Dr. Seth Cropsey, senior fellow at the Hudson Institute; and Mr. Jim Thomas, vice president and director of studies at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments. We look forward to your testimony. And with that, I would like to turn to my good friend Mike McIn- tyre, but I understand he is not here. So, Mr. Courtney, I will rec- ognize you for any remarks you would like to make sitting in for Mr. McIntyre. [The prepared statement of Mr. Forbes can be found in the Ap- pendix on page 27.] Mr. COURTNEY. Thank you, my friend and chairman of the sub- committee, Mr. Forbes, for holding this hearing. In many ways, this is one of the most topical subject matters that we could have for the Congress. Mike had prepared some opening remarks. So, again, what I would just ask is unanimous consent to submit those for the record and look forward to hearing from the witnesses. [The prepared statement of Mr. McIntyre can be found in the Ap- pendix on page 29.] Mr. FORBES. Without objection, we will make those part of the record. I would also like to recognize my good friend and co-lead for our Asia-Pacific series, the gentlelady from Hawaii, Ms. Colleen Hanabusa, for any remarks she may have. Ms. HANABUSA. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I will be very brief. I just want to say that one of the things that a good friend of mine who has passed and a great mentor, Senator Inouye, told me, I think it is very appropriate for these hearings. He had said to me, he says, you know, after World War II, the United States domi- nated the seven seas. He said, if we do that now, he says, I would be really surprised. He says, but, he says, never forget the one thing: We will always dominate the deep blue sea. So with that, I look forward to hearing from all of you. Thank you very much. Mr. FORBES. Thank you, Colleen. And now we will start. And I don’t know which order we want. Mr. Thomas, were you going to start, or Dr. Erickson? Okay. Dr. Erickson, they will let you start, and we thank you once again for your patience in being here with us, and we look for- ward to your remarks. STATEMENT OF DR. ANDREW ERICKSON, ASSOCIATE PRO- FESSOR, CHINA MARITIME STUDIES INSTITUTE, U.S. NAVAL WAR COLLEGE Dr. ERICKSON. Chairman Forbes, Congressman Courtney, distin- guished members of the subcommittee, thank you for this oppor- tunity. I am testifying as an individual, not as a representative of the U.S. Navy. While I have submitted a detailed statement for the record, allow me to highlight the issues I believe are most perti- nent to the subcommittee’s vital work. In contrast to ongoing limitations, shared interests, and even op- portunities for cooperation far away, China’s navy and other serv- ices are achieving formidable anti-access/area-denial, A2/AD, capa- 3 bilities closer to shore. Beijing seeks to wield this growing might to carve out in the Yellow, East, and South China Seas an airspace above them, a zone of exceptionalism within which existing global security, legal, and resource management norms are subordinated to its parochial national interests. This threatens to weaken the global