The Department of Defense recently described China as the “pacing challenge” for the U.S. military and highlighted the need for the armed forces to respond by capitalizing on its alliances in the Indo-Pacific region. A pacing threat refers to an actor who is making significant progress towards challenging the U.S. military. The Chinese regime’s actions in the Indo-Pacific are a “direct challenge” to the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command’s mission to provide freedom for commerce, peace, and security in the Asia-Pacific region according to a statement from the Pentagon on March 15. Beijing’s aggressive military actions in the South China Sea, East China Sea, and Taiwan Strait have drawn rising condemnation from the United States and its allies. It is also rapidly expanding its military to the alarm of U.S. officials. “The PRC [People’s Republic of China] is pursuing rapid, comprehensive military modernization across land, sea, air, space, cyber, and information domains,” said …