US moves last Asia carrier to Middle East, allies wary of China deterrence gap
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The United States has moved the USS George Washington, its last aircraft carrier in Asia, from Japan to the Middle East to relieve the USS Abraham Lincoln after nine months of deployment. The move comes as the US-Israel war on Iran enters its sixth month and follows earlier withdrawals of THAAD systems from South Korea and missile stockpiles. Allies in Asia worry the redeployments weaken US deterrence against China even as the bulk of US forces remain in the region.
Key Facts
- The USS George Washington was moved from Japan to the Middle East to relieve the USS Abraham Lincoln, which had been deployed for nine months.
- The US-Israel war on Iran is in its sixth month.
- The US earlier moved parts of its THAAD system from South Korea to use against Iran.
- Chinese coastguard activity has increased since June in waters east of Taiwan, overlapping Japan's and the Philippines' exclusive economic zones.
- William Yang, senior analyst for Northeast Asia at the International Crisis Group, said the redeployments are creating an impact on the overall effectiveness of US-led regional deterrence against China.
Carrier Redeployment
The USS George Washington was moved from Japan to the Middle East this week to relieve the USS Abraham Lincoln. The USS Abraham Lincoln had been deployed for nine months at a stretch. Multiple reports suggested food shortages on the USS Abraham Lincoln, while broken toilets and showers contributed to unsanitary conditions and poor health. Reports suggested that at least one sailor tried to jump off board.
Regional Deterrence Impact
The carrier move follows earlier reports that the US moved parts of its Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) system from South Korea to use against Iran. The US has also drawn down its missile and munitions stockpiles to keep the war going. William Yang, senior analyst for Northeast Asia at the International Crisis Group, said these moves dent US power projection in Asia and its ability to counter threats from China. Yang said the deployment of the USS George Washington is part of a larger trend creating an impact on the overall effectiveness of US-led regional deterrence against China.
Chinese Maritime Activity
While the last US aircraft carrier has left the area, the Chinese fleet has increasingly ventured beyond the First Island Chain, which runs from north of Japan through Taiwan and the northern Philippines to Borneo. The Cold War defensive line was originally designed to contain Beijing, but it has recently done little to keep China's Liaoning and Shandong aircraft carriers from moving into the Western Pacific. Chinese coastguard activity has picked up since June in the waters east of Taiwan, which overlap with Japan's and the Philippines' exclusive economic zones, Yang said. Yang told Al Jazeera that these maritime operations are aimed at Taipei, Manila, and Tokyo, and are partly testing the US reaction and capability to respond. Ja Ian Chong, a political scientist and security expert at the National University of Singapore, said US allies may worry that China will become even more emboldened as the US shifts military assets westward.
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US moves last Asia carrier to Middle East, allies wary of China deterrence gap
