Indo-Pacific War: New Rules & Risks | War on the Rocks
- military faces a growing challenge in the Indo-Pacific: the potential deployment of container missiles by China.
- forces to adapt their strategies and legal understanding of naval warfare.
- Distinctions between civilian and military objects, and the principle of proportionality, are interpreted differently at sea than on land.
The Indo-Pacific faces a new maritime challenge: China’s potential use of container missiles hidden on civilian ships. This presents significant legal and strategic hurdles for the U.S. military, demanding a rethink of established naval warfare doctrines. Legal distinctions, crucial for effective targeting, pose problems because military education often lacks sufficient emphasis on these nuanced areas. The use of civilian vessels for military purposes, as China is accused of, further complicates matters. Discover in this News Directory 3 analysis how these actions may challenge the current balance of power. How will the U.S. and its allies adapt to this evolving threat landscape?
China’s Container Missiles: A New Maritime Threat?
Updated June 11, 2025
The U.S. military faces a growing challenge in the Indo-Pacific: the potential deployment of container missiles by China. These missiles, concealed within standard shipping containers, could be placed on civilian vessels, creating a “Trojan Horse” scenario that complicates maritime security and international law.
This threat requires U.S. forces to adapt their strategies and legal understanding of naval warfare. The legal principles governing land warfare, learned during conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, differ significantly from those applicable in maritime environments, especially when defending allies like Taiwan, Japan, and the Philippines.
The core issue revolves around the law of targeting. Distinctions between civilian and military objects, and the principle of proportionality, are interpreted differently at sea than on land. Military education in the U.S. provides limited training on these nuances,leaving commanders potentially unprepared for complex legal decisions during conflict.
China’s People’s Armed Forces Maritime Militia already uses civilian ships as naval auxiliaries. The U.S. Naval War College has highlighted the role of these “fishermen spies” and civilian ferries in supporting military operations, including potential landings on Taiwan.
The container-type sea defense combat system,unveiled at the 2022 zuhai Airshow,exemplifies this threat. These systems can house multiple missiles, such as the YJ-12E supersonic anti-ship cruise missile, and can be deployed on commercial ships, making detection difficult.
Jim Fanell, a retired U.S. Navy intelligence officer, suggested that confirmation of this capability would necessitate a new screening regimen for Chinese-flagged ships entering U.S. ports. rick Fisher,a senior fellow at the International Assessment and Strategy Center,noted that such deployments align wiht China’s pursuit of asymmetric advantages.
The use of civilian ships for military purposes raises complex legal questions. Under international law, civilian ships are protected objects, immune from attack. Deploying missiles on these ships could be considered perfidy, a violation of the laws of armed conflict.
Whether China converts container ships into warships or secretly places missiles on board, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command planners must grapple with the legal and strategic implications of targeting these vessels.
What’s next
To address this emerging threat, the U.S. military must enhance training in naval warfare law, clearly communicate targeting policies to allies and commercial entities, and engage in international discussions to establish norms and protocols for dealing with missile-armed civilian ships.