Chinese state media on Tuesday rather unsubtly decided this would be a good time to chat with a panel of “experts” about the possibility of using an electromagnetic pulse weapon (EMP) against American ships that enter portions of the South China Sea illegally claimed by Beijing.

The timing suggests it was a bit of saber-rattling by a Communist Party nervous about its power and prestige after the Wuhan virus disaster, but some degree of escalation in the South China Sea has long been a concern for the U.S. Navy and ships from across the free world.

To put it bluntly, 

an EMP strike on U.S. warships would involve 

detonating a small nuclear warhead above them, 

but China’s state-run Global Times threw in some speculation about “low-energy laser devices” to keep their saber from rattling too loudly:

谷歌譯文：

中國官方媒體周二相當含蓄地認為，這是與“專家”小組進行會談的好時機，該專家小組可能會對在北京非法要求進入南海部分進入的美國船隻使用電磁脈衝武器（EMP） 。

時機表明，這是共產黨對武漢病毒災難後的實力和威望感到不安的sa刀，但長期以來，南海在某種程度上的升級一直是美國海軍和來自世界各地的艦船關注的問題。 自由的世界。

坦率地說，

對美國軍艦進行EMP打擊

將涉及引爆其上方的一個小型戰術核彈頭，

但中國國營《環球時報》引發了一些關於“低能激光設備”的

猜測，以防止其軍刀過大地晃動。

周二（3月17日），中共通過其官媒含蓄地威脅，將使用電磁脈衝武器（EMP），攻擊其所聲稱的“非法”穿越南海的美國軍艦。美媒評論說，中共此舉的目的之一，是為挽回其因中共肺炎而摧毀的所謂“威望”。

中共官媒《環球時報》周二援引中共軍事專家的話報導，中共軍方應使用非致命性的電磁脈衝及激光武器將美國軍艦驅逐出有爭議的海域。

周二，美軍太平洋艦隊在推特上宣布，美國海軍“羅斯福號”（USS Theodore Roosevelt）航空母艦打擊群、“美利堅號”（USS America）兩棲攻擊艦及其帶領的遠征打擊群，正在南海進行演習。

太平洋艦隊在一份關於演習的報告中說，這兩個打擊群的訓練演習包括飛行演習、防空測試和地面支援任務演習。

報告稱，海軍陸戰隊在美艦“碉堡山號”（USS Bunker Hill）上進行了一次包含模擬訪問、登船、搜索和扣押在內的軍事演習。

中共聲稱對南海擁有90％的主權，儘管幾年前國際法院的裁決已駁回該主張。大規模的軍事演習在直接挑戰中共的宣稱。《環球時報》稱，美軍的演習標誌着，在過去的一周中美艦已三次“入侵”中共的領海。

五角大樓已經一再表示將南海視為國際水域，並經常在該水域自由航行。

另外，3月10日及3月13日，美艦也曾穿越南海。

曾在中共導彈部隊任職的中共軍事評論員宋中平說，中共軍方可以選擇使用電磁脈衝武器及其它先進武器來對付美艦穿越南海。

他說，使用常規武器可能會引發衝突，不是好辦法，而使用包括激光在內的電磁脈衝武器可能會暫時癱瘓美艦的武器控制系統。這不會產生明顯的衝突，但可以發出強烈的警告。電磁武器發射的能量脈衝會干擾電子設備。

宋中平聲稱，2月17日發生的涉及一架美國海軍P-8A海上巡邏機的激光事件，是該機對一艘中共軍艦進行多次近距離偵察後發生的。

宋中平評論說：“這是一個很好的例子，可以更多地應用。”

一些分析人士認為，這篇帶有威脅性的報導表明，中共可能準備在南海採取某種挑釁行動。

美媒布萊巴特新聞（Breitbart News）3月17日評論說，中共官媒發表這篇報導的時機也表明，在發生中共病毒的災難後，已對自己的權力和威望感到緊張的中共有點劍拔弩張，但南海局勢某種程度的升級，長期以來一直是美國海軍和來自自由世界的船隻所擔心的。

該文還指出，《環球時報》對二月激光事件和其它類似事件的描述很不誠實，就像中共描述美國陸軍實驗室研發了中共病毒的謊言一樣。中共2月17日對美國海軍飛機的激光攻擊是無端的，也是不專業、不安全的，明顯違反了北京所認可的該地區的海商法和安全行為政策。

To counter US’ repeated trespasses into Chinese territorial waters, the Chinese military has the option of using new approaches, including the deployment of electromagnetic weapons, Song Zhongping, a Chinese military expert and commentator, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

Firing at US warships is not a good choice unless the US fires first, and that would result in the start of a China-US military conflict, Song said, noting that bumping into US ships might also not be a good counter, as lessons have been learned from the Black Sea bumping incident between the Soviet Union and US in 1988.

But the use of electromagnetic weapons, including low-energy laser devices, could be viable, as they can temporarily paralyze US ships’ weapon and control systems without visible conflict but can send a strong warning, according to Song.

Electromagnetic weapons can emit electromagnetic waves that can potentially jam electronic devices of target vessels and will not cause casualties, military observers said.

The US accused a Chinese destroyer of using lasers on February 17 on its patrol aircraft near Guam, even though it was the US aircraft that had initially conducted repeated close-in reconnaissance that interrupted the Chinese fleet’s normal navigation and training. This is a good example and could be applied more, Song said.

This is almost as dishonest a framing of the February laser incident, and others like it, as the Chinese fairy tale about a U.S. Army lab developing the coronavirus. The Chinese laser attack on a U.S. Navy aircraft flying over international waters on February 17 was unprovoked, unprofessional, unsafe, and a clear violation of both maritime law and safe-conduct policies for the region endorsed by Beijing.

These EMP threats were prompted by the most recent series of U.S. Freedom of Navigation operations (FONOP) in the South China Sea, which essentially involve sailing through waters claimed by China to demonstrate that international freedom of navigation will be protected. The Chinese are particularly exercised by the presence of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt and its strike group in the region, and while the Global Times did not explicitly mention it, the USS Theodore Roosevelt’s visit to Vietnam was deeply troubling to Beijing.

“This is the third time in just a week US warships are known to have trespassed into the South China Sea: US guided missile destroyer McCampbell on March 10 trespassed into China’s territorial waters in the Xisha Islands, and amphibious assault ship America and littoral combat ship Gabrielle Giffords sailed in operations in the South China Sea on Friday,” the Global Times complained.

“Xisha Islands” is China’s name for the Paracel Islands, which the guided-missile destroyer USS McCampbell sailed near on March 10. Vietnam and Taiwan both have claims in the Paracels. The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) claimed it “warned” the American ship to leave, while the U.S. Navy said the ship completed its “security and stability operations” normally.

USS America and USS Gabrielle Giffords conducted joint operations in the South China Sea on Friday to test unified command and control and practice tactical maneuvers. The ships do not appear to have ventured into the waters claimed by China.

“By combining America’s lethality provided by the Navy-Marine Corps Team with the speed and maneuverability of a littoral combat ship, we’re forging new ways to operate together in one of the most important regions in the world,” Expeditionary Strike Group 7 commander Rear Adm. Fred Kacher said.

The PLA pulled a few deliberately provocative maneuvers of its own on Monday, sending a flight of warplanes across the Taiwan Strait in a rare night exercise. The Taiwanese scrambled their own fighters to “shadow, intercept, and disperse the Communist warplanes,” according to Taiwan’s defense ministry.

The South China Morning Post quoted analysts who said Beijing wanted to send one of its periodic threats to Taiwan while also demonstrating the coronavirus epidemic has not weakened the PLA:

“In addition to enhancing all-weather capability of its military fleet, the communist warplanes’ fly-by is aimed at sending out the message that it is business as usual with PLA war games despite the coronavirus outbreak in mainland China,” said Alexander Huang Chieh-cheng, a professor of international affairs and strategic studies at Tamkang University in Taipei.

He said the PLA’s night drill was also aimed at testing the response of forces such as the United States and telling them that the mainland’s air force can carry out night-time combat operations.

“Of course, it is also aimed at intimidating Taiwan,” Huang said.

The Global Times portrayed the night exercise as a warning to Taiwan that will become more frequent if “secessionist forces remain stubborn and continue their secessionist activities.”

The Chinese state newspaper curiously quoted only Taiwanese sources about the incident, but slipped in a comment from an unnamed “military expert” who said Monday’s flight was unprecedented proof that the PLA “is fully capable of launching military operations on the island at any time of a day.”

Chinese military experts on Tuesday suggested the use of non-lethal electromagnetic weapons, including low-energy laser devices, in expelling US warships that have been repeatedly intruding into the South China Sea in the past week.

Ships from the Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier strike group and America amphibious assault ship expeditionary strike group sailed together in the South China Sea on Sunday for expeditionary strike force drills, the US Pacific Fleet said on its Twitter account on Monday.

This is the third time in just a week US warships are known to have trespassed into the South China Sea: US guided missile destroyer McCampbell on March 10 trespassed into China's territorial waters in the Xisha Islands, and amphibious assault ship America and littoral combat ship Gabrielle Giffords sailed in operations in the South China Sea on Friday.

To counter US' repeated trespasses into Chinese territorial waters, the Chinese military has the option of using new approaches, including the deployment of electromagnetic weapons, Song Zhongping, a Chinese military expert and commentator, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

Firing at US warships is not a good choice unless the US fires first, and that would result in the start of a China-US military conflict, Song said, noting that bumping into US ships might also not be a good counter, as lessons have been learned from the Black Sea bumping incident between the Soviet Union and US in 1988.

But the use of electromagnetic weapons, including low-energy laser devices, could be viable, as they can temporarily paralyze US ships' weapon and control systems without visible conflict but can send a strong warning, according to Song.

Electromagnetic weapons can emit electromagnetic waves that can potentially jam electronic devices of target vessels and will not cause casualties, military observers said.

The US accused a Chinese destroyer of using lasers on February 17 on its patrol aircraft near Guam, even though it was the US aircraft that had initially conducted repeated close-in reconnaissance that interrupted the Chinese fleet's normal navigation and training. This is a good example and could be applied more, Song said.

The US side is using "freedom of navigation" as an excuse to repeatedly enter the South China Sea to flex its muscles and cause trouble, which are acts of hegemony that violate international law, threatening peace and stability in the region, People's Liberation Army (PLA) Southern Theater Command spokesperson Li Huamin said after the US naval activities on March 10, noting that the US warship was expelled by Chinese naval and aerial forces.

China has undisputed sovereignty over the islands in the South China Sea and nearby waters, and the Chinese military remains highly vigilant at all times. It will take any necessary measure to safeguard national sovereignty, peace and stability in the South China Sea, Li said after that incident.

The PLA has yet to announce its response to the US activities on Friday and Sunday.

所以上次我們的軍艦攔截它的時候，很多人嚇得夠嗆，

我不知道做為中國人，你害怕什麼？

我建議：如果美國軍艦再到我們這個地方來，

我們應該出動兩條軍艦：一條軍艦攔截它，一條軍艦撞沉它！！

在我們的領海絕不允許美艦橫行！謝謝！