![]() Even in peacetime, China’s A2/AD complex arguably attenuates the United States’ ability to defend its interests and its allies from potential Chinese coercion, and with it, the American-organized system of deterrence and regional stability. In wartime, some American forces may initially be prevented from operating in China’s near seas. 2 As China continues to upgrade its A2/AD system, it presents a serious and sustained challenge to the United States’ operational access to the region. 1 Since the mid-1990s, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has been in the process of creating a formidable anti-access and area denial (A2/AD) complex in China’s near seas. But American military dominance is steadily eroding thanks to the breakneck pace of China’s military modernization, and, as a result, the military balance in the region is shifting. Even to this day, the United States remains the region’s most powerful military actor. ![]() For over five decades, its forces largely preserved command over the global commons in the pursuit of this mission. Rather than using this ascendancy for expansionist purposes, the United States sought to maintain regional stability through deterrence. Since World War II, the United States has aimed to preserve military primacy in the Asia-Pacific region. ![]() If enacted, a blockade could exact a ruinous cost on the Chinese economy and state. The United States would also need to implement a mix between a close and distant blockade in order to avoid imperiling the conflict’s strategic context. ![]() A blockade strategy is viable, but it would be limited to a narrow context: the United States would have to be engaged in a protracted conflict over vital interests, and it would need the support of key regional powers. The mounting challenge posed by China’s military modernization has highlighted the need for the United States to analyze its ability to execute a naval blockade. ![]()
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