Military demonstrations and diplomatic engagement moving forward simultaneously
In the ancient rhythm of nations testing one another's resolve, the United States and Japan have launched two weeks of military exercises deploying missile systems capable of reaching mainland China — a demonstration of capability that Beijing has condemned even as diplomats on both sides describe their conversations as constructive. The exercises, named Resolute Dragon, unfold in the shadow of China's own recent military parade and within days of the first known call between American and Chinese defense ministers. What emerges is a portrait of great powers navigating the narrow passage between deterrence and dialogue, each unwilling to surrender either the sword or the olive branch.
- Washington and Tokyo are deploying Typhon and Type 12 missile systems near Taiwan — weapons with ranges that place mainland China within striking distance, a fact Beijing has publicly condemned as a strategic threat.
- The exercises began less than 48 hours after the first known conversation between U.S. Defense Secretary Hegseth and Chinese Admiral Dong Jun, creating a jarring collision between military posturing and diplomatic overture.
- China's own recent military parade, attended by Putin and Kim Jong Un, displayed new missile systems just days before Resolute Dragon launched, suggesting both sides are engaged in a synchronized theater of strength.
- Diplomatic channels are nonetheless accelerating — Rubio spoke with Wang Yi, a bipartisan congressional delegation is preparing the first China visit in six years, and a Xi-Trump summit is being quietly arranged for October.
- The dual-track strategy — military exercises and high-level engagement running in parallel — reflects a relationship defined less by trust than by the shared recognition that neither conflict nor silence is sustainable.
The United States and Japan have launched a two-week military exercise deploying missile systems capable of striking mainland China, drawing swift condemnation from Beijing even as diplomatic contacts between the two powers quietly intensify. The drills, called Resolute Dragon, began less than 48 hours after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth held his first known video call with Chinese counterpart Admiral Dong Jun — a conversation the Pentagon described as frank and constructive.
The exercises feature the American Typhon missile system, capable of launching Tomahawk cruise missiles with a range of 1,600 kilometers, alongside the NMESIS anti-ship system and Japan's upgraded Type 12 ground-to-ground missile. Together they form what military planners call a layered defense capability. The Typhon will be based at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni on Honshu, while other systems will operate across Japan's Southwest Islands, which extend to within 113 kilometers of Taiwan's coast — territory China's Communist Party claims and has vowed to take by force if necessary.
The backdrop is charged. Just over a week before the exercises began, Xi Jinping presided over a major military parade in Beijing alongside Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un, showcasing China's newest missile systems. China's Foreign Ministry has called the Typhon deployment a substantial threat to regional strategic security.
Yet diplomacy is accelerating in parallel. During his call with Dong, Hegseth stated that the United States does not seek conflict, regime change, or economic strangulation of China — while also making clear that the Asia-Pacific remains Washington's top priority theater. Secretary of State Rubio spoke separately with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, and a bipartisan congressional delegation is planning the first official visit to China in more than six years. A Xi-Trump summit is being quietly prepared for October on the sidelines of APEC.
The pattern is unmistakable: military demonstrations and diplomatic engagement advancing on parallel tracks, each side projecting resolve while keeping the door open — a defining paradox of the current relationship between the world's two most powerful nations.
The United States and Japan are launching two weeks of military exercises this week that will deploy missile systems capable of striking mainland China—a move Beijing has already condemned as a destabilizing threat to regional security and stability. The drills, called Resolute Dragon, begin less than two days after the U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth spoke by video call with his Chinese counterpart, Admiral Dong Jun, in what the Pentagon described as their first known conversation and characterized as frank and constructive.
The timing is striking. Just over a week before these exercises began, China held a massive military parade in Beijing where the People's Liberation Army displayed some of its newest missile systems while Xi Jinping watched alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Now, as Washington and Tokyo prepare to demonstrate their own firepower, the diplomatic channels remain open—a paradox that defines the current U.S.-China relationship.
The exercises will feature the American Typhon missile system, also called the Mid-Range Capability system, along with the NMESIS short-range anti-ship missile and Japan's recently upgraded Type 12 ground-to-ground missile. Together, these weapons provide what military planners call a layered defense capability—different ranges working in concert to protect critical sea lanes, defend key terrain, and project power from land bases. The Typhon system alone can fire the Standard Missile 6, which has a range of 370 kilometers and can be used against aircraft, ships, and ballistic missiles. It can also launch the Tomahawk cruise missile, which travels up to 1,600 kilometers. China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said late last month that the Typhon deployment represents a substantial threat to strategic security in the region and called on the United States and Japan to respect other countries' security concerns.
The Typhon will be based at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni on Japan's main island of Honshu. While the military statement did not specify where the other systems would be positioned, the exercises will include Japan's Southwest Islands, which extend to within 113 kilometers of Taiwan's coast. Taiwan is the self-governing island that China's Communist Party claims as its own territory and has vowed to take by force if necessary. Japan's Type 12 missile has a range of up to 900 kilometers, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies.
Yet even as these exercises unfold, diplomatic efforts are accelerating. During his call with Dong on Wednesday, Hegseth told the Chinese admiral that the United States does not seek conflict with China, does not want regime change, and is not trying to strangle the Chinese economy. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell added that Hegseth also made clear that the United States has vital interests in the Asia-Pacific region—its top priority theater—and will defend those interests resolutely. Dong, for his part, urged Hegseth to respect China's fundamental interests and raised concerns about Taiwan and the South China Sea.
The defense ministers' call comes as Washington and Beijing are intensifying high-level engagement ahead of what many expect will be a summit between Xi and Trump this fall. Trump and his senior advisers are quietly preparing to travel to South Korea in late October for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum's ministerial meetings, according to three Trump administration officials. That gathering is being viewed as a key opportunity for Trump to meet with Xi. On Wednesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke by phone with China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Their last in-person meeting was in July at an ASEAN regional forum in Malaysia. The Chinese statement said both sides viewed the contact as timely, necessary, and productive, and emphasized the need to leverage top-level diplomacy to help the two countries manage differences and improve cooperation.
Meanwhile, a bipartisan group of U.S. House members is planning an official trip to China later this month—the first congressional delegation of this kind in more than six years. The parallel tracks are unmistakable: military demonstrations and diplomatic engagement moving forward simultaneously, each side signaling resolve while keeping channels open for negotiation.
Citas Notables
The United States does not seek conflict with China, does not want regime change, and is not trying to strangle the Chinese economy.— Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell, summarizing Defense Secretary Hegseth's message to Chinese Admiral Dong Jun
The Typhon deployment represents a substantial threat to strategic security in the region.— Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Why hold these exercises now, just as the defense secretaries are talking?
Because both sides need to show strength while they negotiate. The exercises demonstrate capability and commitment to allies. The phone call shows willingness to manage the relationship without letting military posturing spiral into crisis.
Does China actually feel threatened by these missiles, or is this theater?
Both. The Typhon's range genuinely changes the military calculus in the region—it can hit targets 1,600 kilometers away. But the condemnation is also about signaling to domestic audiences and to allies that China won't be intimidated.
Why is Taiwan mentioned so specifically in the exercises?
Because the Southwest Islands are 113 kilometers from Taiwan's coast. The exercises aren't explicitly about Taiwan, but the geography makes the message clear: the U.S. and Japan are practicing to defend the region, and Taiwan sits at the center of that concern.
If they're so worried about each other, how do the diplomatic calls work?
They work because neither side wants actual war. The calls are about establishing red lines and keeping miscalculation from turning into conflict. You can be adversaries and still talk.
What's the October summit about?
It's a chance for Trump and Xi to reset the relationship before it hardens further. The bipartisan congressional delegation going to China this month is part of the same effort—building relationships that survive military tensions.
So who's winning this standoff?
That's the wrong question. Both sides are trying to avoid losing. The exercises show the U.S. and Japan won't back down. The diplomatic calls show China won't be isolated. The real test is whether they can keep doing both without one side miscalculating.