Twitter icon

2022-06-15 23:13:25 By : Mr. Marc Liang

"If now you go to the best American city and, the next day, you fly to a leading Chinese place, it gives you the impression of arriving from the past"Web Icon Email Icon Twitter Icon"What would you do in a pre-emptive attack by the USSR?"The song was composed in the last part of the Cold War and could be played today, when the technological, economic and military strength of China has caused a new super-power to stand up to the United States.Pedro Baños attends this communication medium with his characteristic kindness to talk about the new weapons developed by the Asian country and to offer a vision of the geopolitical situation in the midst of a global pandemic and at a time when new and more sophisticated ways of waging war.Question: Let's see, are we experiencing a large-scale conflict?Have hostilities started yet?Answer: Without a doubt.What happens is that today we must bear in mind that war is carried out with instruments very different from what we have in mind.We still think of the war of the 20th century, which was waged with conventional military weapons.Today that has changed and economic instruments are used – embargoes or sanctions – and cyberspace is also used, where a battle is constantly waged through attempts to impose narratives or media manipulation.Q: There is also technological evolution and new conventional weapons...A: Very innovative weapons are being used, within the field of conventional warfare.But the formula of invading countries is perhaps no longer the goal.Other forms of control are now used.And there are still many people who are unable to understand this new reality.Q: It seems that mutual destruction moved away from the conventional way of waging war...A: Let's see, until now we were talking about strategic nuclear weapons, which is what was regulated in the treaties.But we can also talk about tactical nuclear weapons;or those that have electromagnetic elements, which are used in logic bombs that have the ability to destroy the electronic systems of the places that are attacked.This is done knowing the importance of technology for large countries.Therefore, its destructive power is very great.Q: China has turned off international navigation radars.The other day several media echoed this measure.A new step in the escalation of tension?A: In this scenario we live in, everything that involves acting in that electromagnetic spectrum is a priority.It is what can be called 'electronic warfare' and among the general public we do not know many details about it.Of the airplanes that generate interference or of the signals that are sent in the 'bottlenecks' of navigation to confuse the ships and move them away from their trajectory.Q: And there are still those who defend that evil does not exist, despite how twisted we are...A: That would be very innocent.Rousseau's 'noble savage' does not exist;the world is absolutely Hobbesian and will continue to be so.Technology changes at a dizzying pace, like never before;and those who do not invest in technology are going to be subjugated by those who do.But what never changes is the human component: the passions, the weaknesses, the capital sins... and the ambition to try to impose one's own will on others, be it that of a person or that of a State.And many times part of these technological achievements are intended to establish controls over the rest.Q: Let's talk about the Chinese hypersonic missile.Should we fear it?A: Well, look, the danger of a missile depends on the load it carries.I mean, from his head.But it is true that we are talking about the new field of hypersonic weapons.Here we must distinguish two types: on the one hand, hypersonic displacement vehicles (HGV), which are a kind of gliders that are sent into space in a kind of spacecraft and, once they reach orbit, they release that shuttle and they enter the atmosphere with erratic and unpredictable trajectories.In other words, they do not follow conventional ballistic trajectories and that means that no air defense system can destroy them.These can be employed like a conventional weapon, for example using their speed to destroy a target;or so that while hypersonic (flying at more than 5 mach), they can launch a missile against electronic measures that are acting against it.Q: There are other types of weapons…A: Yes, they are hypersonic cruise missiles (HCM).These can be launched from a submarine and reach hypersonic speeds of well over mach 5.This is the Russian avangard missile, which flies at more than 20,000 kilometers per hour, which can perform lateral and vertical maneuvers of several thousand kilometers and is completely invulnerable against known defense systems.This missile can carry a nuclear payload and that makes it fearsome.But, as you said, the Chinese seem to have just discovered a technology that is ahead of the Russian.And, beware, the United States is far behind in these weapons.It is making great efforts, but there are those who think that it is 20 years behind the other two powers.Other powers, such as the United Kingdom and India, have started programs to develop these weapons.Q: America in trouble…A: He has had some failures, although in September he had his first success.But, at the moment, it can be said that it is very behind in this type of technology.Wow, China has developed a technology that is, today, unstoppable.Q: There is an arms race, various powers… This is a bit reminiscent of the early years of the 20th century…A: The example you give is perfectly valid, what happens is that, for example, one of the reasons that led to the collapse of the USSR was the star wars started by Ronald Reagan.Basically, because it was found that the Soviets could not withstand the pace of technological development.What if the same thing happened now with the United States with respect to China?It is true that the United States has the economic power granted by JP Morgan, Blackrock, Vanguard, Blackstone... but it also has a very delicate economic situation.With which, it may be that the tortilla is reversed and it may be that the Americans cannot keep up.Q: And in between, Taiwan…A: The US secretary of state has gone so far as to say that they would be willing to go to war if China attacks Taiwan.And China claims it for its territory, considering that it is a historical region that belongs to it.In addition, it is carrying out a very intelligent campaign -it must be said- to try to attract this island into its midst and that goes beyond the military.It is an economic and political campaign.They are conveying that China is going to dominate the world and that the Taiwanese have no need to remain allied with the losers.China wants to expel all European powers from Asia, just like the Americans did with the Monroe Doctrine.Q: Has that feeling of making gestures to China in case they achieve hegemony already permeated Spain?A: Do you know what happens?That we have to be aware of the direction the world is following.And beware, it remains to be seen the reaction of the Anglo-Saxon world to the strength of China, which can be dangerous and violent, as history shows with the powers in decline.But in Spain we must know where the world is going and weigh who we are interested in allying with.And that does not imply accepting their political system, much less.We also do business with feudal theocracies that do not respect human rights.Perhaps with such an extremely thriving China, it is necessary to do business leaving politics aside.Look, they are becoming the first world and we, more and more, the third.If you go to the best American city now and, the next day, fly to a top Chinese place, it gives you the impression of arriving from the past.It is an absolutely fast transition.You can no longer post new comments on this article.Copyright© 2022 vozpopuli.com.All rights reserved.