China probably won’t launch an attack using a nuclear-capable hypersonic missile on the United States, but if it did, that strike would happen without any warning because of the nature of the technology, China expert Gordon Chang warned on Newsmax Monday.
“We have nothing comparable, which means that if China wanted to it could nuke the U.S. and we would have no warning at all,” Chang said on Newsmax’s “Wake Up America,” commenting on reports that China had tested one of the missiles in July. “With ballistic missiles, we have maybe 25 minutes, a half-hour of warning.”
The Chinese foreign ministry early Monday denied the reports, saying that instead, it had tested a space vehicle.
The Financial Times, quoting five people described as being familiar with the matter, reported Saturday that China “caught U.S. intelligence by surprise” by testing a nuclear-capable hypersonic missile that had flown through space and circled the globe before returning toward its target, missing it by about 20 miles.
Chang said Monday the timing of the test came at a time when China was coming after the United States with a “malicious” propaganda attack that was “laying the justification for an attack on the U.S.”
And while Chang said he doesn’t think China would launch one of the hypersonic missiles at the United States, he does think there are concerns that “Beijing is going to someday take a clueless political class in Washington by surprise.”
The United States has a “notion that we are militarily superior to everyone,” but the reports of a hypersonic missile launch have made many in the U.S. intelligence community question that, he continued.
“With regard to the delivery of nuclear weapons, China is so far ahead of us,” said Chang. “We have no way to shoot this down. We have 44 interceptors in Alaska and California. There is no way they can do this.”
Even with the missile missing its target, its accuracy will just improve with more tests, Chang stressed.
“We have no way to be able to stop this and we have a Biden administration that has sort of put the hold on the modernization of the U.S. arsenal,” he said. “I think that they’ll eventually put some more money into it. But right now we are so far behind.”
Chang also discussed the upcoming Beijing Olympics, calling on the United States to stay out because of China’s actions with the COVID-19 pandemic and toward its people.
“Under the 1948 genocide convention, we have an obligation to prevent and punish acts of genocide, which China is committing,” said Chang, referring to China’s treatment of the Uyghur population. “Even the Blinken state department said China was committing [genocide].”
Further, the United States should be appealing the participation of China’s athletes in its Olympics, said Chang.
Story cited here.
