China air force video seems to show attack on US base
BEIJING 鈥 China鈥檚 air force has released a video showing nuclear-capable H-6 bombers carrying out a simulated attack on what appears to be Andersen Air Force Base on the U.S. Pacific island of Guam, as regional tensions continue to rise.
The video, released on Saturday on People鈥檚 Liberation Army Air Force Weibo account, came as China carried out a second day of drills near Chinese-claimed Taiwan, to express Beijing鈥檚 anger at the visit of a senior U.S. State Department official to Taipei.
Guam is home to major U.S. military facilities, including the air base, which would be key to responding to any conflict in the Asia Pacific region.
The Chinese air force鈥檚 two minute and 15 second video, set to solemn, dramatic music like a trailer for a Hollywood movie, shows H-6 bombers taking off from a desert base. The video is called 鈥淭he god of war H-6K goes on the attack!鈥
Halfway through, a pilot presses a button and looses off a missile at an unnamed seaside runway.
The missile homes in on the runway, a satellite image of which is shown that looks exactly like the layout of Andersen, though it is not named.
The music suddenly stops as images of the ground shaking appear, following by aerial views of an explosion. 鈥淲e are the defenders of the motherland鈥檚 aerial security; we have the confidence and ability to always defend the security of the motherland鈥檚 skies,鈥 the PLAAF wrote in a brief description for the video.
Neither China鈥檚 Defence Ministry nor U.S. Indo-Pacific Command immediately responded to a request for comment on the video.
Collin Koh, a research fellow at Singapore鈥檚 Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies, said the video was aimed at highlighting China鈥檚 growing prowess in long-range power projection.
鈥淭he video is meant to warn the Americans that even supposedly safe, rearward positions such as Guam may come under threat when conflicts over regional flashpoints, be it Taiwan or South China Sea, erupt,鈥 he said.
The H-6 has been involved in multiple Chinese flights around and near Taiwan, according to Taiwan鈥檚 air force, including those last week. 鈥 Reuters
