Beijing’s aim isn’t simply to match the U.S. system-by-system, but to develop capabilities that could “offset” American advantages, taking the Pentagon’s concept from the 1970s and turning it against the United States. China has fielded an array of weapons that systematically undermine U.S. advantages. China’s precision anti-ship missiles make it extremely dangerous for U.S. surface ships to transit the Taiwan Strait in a time of war, holding American naval power at bay.
