Navy Capt. James E. Fanell, outgoing intelligence chief of the Navy’s Pacific Fleet, warned at his retirement party in Pearl Harbour, Honolulu on February 2, 2015, that China’s ruling Communist Party is “rejuvenating” and preparing for a military conflict in Asia. According to him “The strategic trend lines indicate the Communist Party of China is not only ‘rejuvenating’ itself for internal stability purposes, but has been and continues to prepare to use military force.”
Fanell said he believes Beijing prefers not to use its growing military force for achieving regional dominance, “But let’s not deceive ourselves. The evidence I’ve been chewing on over the past 15 years is overwhelming.” “Beijing has prepared for military action and [Chinese] President Xi Jinping’s ‘China Dream’ has a defined timeline to reach this ‘rejuvenated’ end state.”
In particular, the Chinese navy, Fanell said, is taking steps to achieve strategic objectives that include the restoration of what Beijing says is “sovereign maritime territory,” specifically thousands of square miles of water inside the so-called first island chain.
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