China’s Hegemonic Ambitions, From Taiwan to the Moon: Richard Fisher

This is the 30 minute TV version of Jan Jekielek’s interview with Rick Fisher. The longer-form version was released on Epoch TV on October 5, 2024.

Rick Fisher, expert in China’s military capabilities, talks to Jan Jekielek about China’s hegemonic ambition and its global implications - from China’s space programs to its activity in the South China Sea. Fisher is a senior fellow at the International Assessment and Strategy Center.

CHAPTER HEADERS WITH TIMECODES
[0:00:01 - 0:00:34] China's Military Coalition with Rogue States
[0:00:34 - 0:02:29] China's Path to Nuclear Superiority
[0:02:29 - 0:06:20] China's Military Actions in the South China Sea
[0:06:20 - 0:08:58] China's Territorial Claims and Strategic Goals
[0:08:58 - 0:11:35] China's Military Capabilities and Technological Advancements
[0:11:35 - 0:14:00] Hypersonic Weapons and Their Impact
[0:14:00 - 0:17:51] Nuclear Warheads and Strategic Threats
[0:17:51 - 0:20:20] China's Space Program and Nuclear Warheads in Space
[0:20:20 - 0:22:09] Coordination Among Rogue States and American Preparedness

“In order to be able to project military power around the globe and to project Chinese communist power to the moon and beyond, the Chinese Communist Party needs to control the South China Sea. The South China Sea is the gateway, the door which the Chinese nuclear Navy will sail through. Hainan Island, which is at the top of the South China Sea, is the space port that the party will use to populate the moon and to populate Mars and beyond. So the rammings, the violence in the South China Sea, that barely makes headlines in the United States, but which makes all the headlines in the Philippines, in Taiwan, in Japan, Southeast Asia. This is all very important. We lose the battle of the South China Sea, we begin to lose the battle for freedom on Earth.”

According to Fisher, “Chinese leaders cloak their behavior in layers and layers of respectability to try and convince the world that they are morally and then legally justified to basically commit murder.”

“China is, I think, the second country right after Russia, to have married a maneuverable, hypersonic warhead that is extremely difficult to shoot down to an ICBM, or in the Chinese sense, actually a satellite that could circle the Earth multiple times and rain these hypersonic warheads down on our heads.”

He explains why hypersonic weapons are so dangerous: “It starts out in a ballistic arc, but it can immediately descend to a lower altitude, so it's out of radar sensing range, and then when it gets to the lower altitude, it can jinx around, go up and down, so that even if the radar sees the warhead approaching, it has changed its position enough so that it can basically move faster than the computer has time to calculate an interception solution. So essentially, it becomes very, very difficult to shoot down. China can put those warheads very likely on a new Dongfeng DF27 intercontinental ballistic missile.”

“A non-nuclear, hypersonic warhead from a DF17, probably has enough energy to travel straight through an aircraft carrier and maybe break the keel of the aircraft carrier, which would very quickly force the aircraft carrier to bend up, break like like the Titanic, and just sink 5000 souls, boom gone”, says Fisher.

“China's investment in its nuclear enterprise is massive, and it's not just nuclear material, nuclear warheads, but it's also multiple companies that are making the missiles to carry these warheads, possibly on fractional orbital bombardment systems that can circle the Earth multiple times of if they so desire, and all manner of short range to medium, intermediate, ballistic, intercontinental, intercontinental range missiles.”

And he warns: “The major threat elements that China is producing on a weekly, maybe monthly basis, ought to rate headlines on the major American television networks. Cable channels should have shows that specifically highlight these various threats, but they’re not. The American public is relatively uninformed about the breadth and depth of these threats that are developing from China, Russia, North Korea, soon Iran, and the fact that they are all now in a state of coordination.”

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[gracelinda]

Has everyone been noticed that: US every SINGLE day literally every single day without a day not talking about China. Give me a feel that: Winner focus on winning but loser focus on winner😅

[DouglasW-mz]

China may already surplus America in many areas, so for Americans to be afraid is very normal.
America and the West with NATO has been school boys fighting in front of schools.
China south China seas, come and experience the mighty of China, don't be afraid

[derekfoust]

These two allegations of “non-transparancy”, “keeping secrets from everybody. . .” fit the CIA/MI6 better.

[booneulidan]

Taiwan is an integral part of China. This is a historical and geographical facts. Even the US admitted that Taiwan is a province of China. The United States of Arrogance should not interfere in this domestic affair of China. Non- interference is a principle under the UN Charter

[LeonLKC]

Rick Fisher seems to have pretty strong views in his assessment of PRC. But has he engaged China's government officials in a debate to voice his views before ?

[peterphan]

It's funny that he himself constantly call himself the " EXPERT" .

[PrettyGoodLookin]

These think tanks are full of bad analysis. They never speak to how the US Military/Govt. /Corporate Greed behavior, attitude, ignorance and arrogance contributes to the problems.

[a.shikatoswu]

A mouthpiece of U.S. Oligarch military government 😂

[booneulidan]

Ambition is the key to progress. Nothing wrong with that? Don't you have any ambition?

[dcauninaivonarck]

A day without hypocrisy is a day wasted!!!

[jrkr]

Which country and people have no ambition ?

[syedmaricar]

If USA and allies and NATO nations are superior in feeling why worry about china India or Persian missiles.

[baddad]

Those warheads are so hard to shoot down - kinda like those stealthy Chinese balloons????

[MarinaM-op]

EVERYTHING YOU SAID IN THIS VIDEO IS WHAT IS HAPPING WITH CHINA AND THEIR AMBITIONS.

[ascoaptwwasmqx]

American overestimated China, despite capable of leading a anti-USA block, China did not but instead tag along Russia on de-dollarization, Russia also leads in arming anti USA countries such as Iran, Cuba or Venezuela.

In fact, India is aggressively promoting Indian UPI to de-dollarize and continue to work closely to arm and support Russia's war in Ukraine. In exchange for Russian oil, India is selling and maintaining Russia's numerous navy ships, ignoring its alliance with USA.

[lisaserrano]

PUERTO Rico is the Island of the Lamb. Puerto Rico 🏝 is a USA territory, we are American citizens. We are Christians and conservatives. We love our lord and savior Jesus Christ 🙏 🙌 ❤️

[amunra]

Imperialists whine when another country do what they did for nearly 200 years. Sucks doesn’t it?

[winstonsmith]

And what enabled and CONTINUES to enable this? Books:

The Hundred-Year Marathon: China's Secret Strategy to Replace America as the Global Superpower - 2016 (The contents of the book prove it was never a "secret." It was always there to see if anyone actually looked for it.)

Stealth War: How China Took Over While America's Elite Slept - 2019 (they weren't "sleeping"; the mountains of cash to be made blocked their vision)

Red-Handed: How American Elites Get Rich Helping China Win – 2022

Blood Money: Why the Powerful Turn a Blind Eye While China Kills Americans - 2024 (with fentanyl)

[XidhayPa]

O ! Non-transparency & secrecy ...those are the two top secret things of PLA. This seems insightful researced.

[PhilipWong]

In the biblical fight between good and evil. The US portrays itself as the Good.

The West's pattern of behavior is prescribed by its holy books. These books recount numerous instances (Joshua 6:8; 1 Samuel 15; Numbers 31; Deuteronomy 2:32-34, 3:3-6, 20:16-18) where they followed God's instructions to carry out massacres against other races and the consequences they faced for not fully obeying those instructions. It calls for the total destruction of the loser, no quarters.

Some in the West believe they will continue dominating the world because God is on their side. Their historical success is preordained and inevitable, and their superior culture gave them a moral imperative to intervene in global affairs. One group even has a written agreement with God that grants them land and special privileges.

The concept of being a superpower reflects the Western scarcity-driven, win-lose mindset. At the same time, much of the Eastern worldview (excluding Japan) embraces abundance and win-win cooperation. Pursuing and maintaining superpower status is costly and unnecessary in a framework focused on shared growth and collaboration.

Scarcity-driven win-lose strategies reflect a narrow, short-term view that assumes limited resources and competition are necessary. On the other hand, abundance-driven win-win strategies align with a broader, long-term perspective, recognizing that collaboration leads to greater and more sustainable rewards in a vast, interconnected universe. The universe offers ample opportunities for mutual growth, making win-win strategies more effective in the long run. In the long term, the win-lose strategy turns into a lose-lose strategy.

The US has nominated China as an enemy. China does not view any country as an adversary and is open to collaboration and partnership with all nations. China reacts to each U.S. action. It is considered impolite not to reciprocate.

Anywhere in the world, if there is a border dispute, it is usually the result of a line drawn by an Englishman; if it is an internal dispute, it is usually the US fueling it with diplomatic, financial, covert, and military support. Difference in implementation of divide and conquer strategy.

The win-win mindset of the Chinese government explains why, despite having a per capita GDP that is less than one-sixth that of the US, we observe them enthusiastically building infrastructures all over the world that raise the standard of living for people in the global majority.