By Mar-Vic Cagurangan
Security threats posed by China have emerged as a key talking point for Guam’s congressional candidates following the People’s Liberation Army’s launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile into the Pacific Ocean on Wednesday.
Both the Republican and Democratic candidates agreed that China's latest display of aggression represented a constant threat to Guam, underscoring the need to boost defense for the island.
James Moylan, the incumbent Guam delegate who is seeking reelection, said he advocated for the needed funding for the Guam missile defense system being proposed by the Department of Defense.
“This includes over $500 million in the Fiscal Year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act and over $600 million in the Fiscal Year 2025 version, which is scheduled to be voted on in November,” said the Republican delegate.
His Democratic opponent, Ginger Cruz, however, said Guam needs to secure more federal resources for civil defense to protect the local population.
"Our island is woefully unprepared for potential armed conflict. While defense funding is essential, we need a comprehensive approach to protect both military and civilian populations,” Cruz said.
While the DOD’s combat preparations on Guam are mostly military-centric, discussions on contingency plans are quite scant, if at all, on the civilian side.
Cruz called for a “high-level coordination with the White House to enhance our civil defense, create civilian shelters, and harden our infrastructure.”
Guam pins its hope on the proposed integrated air and ground missile system with mobile components to be installed around the island.
The Pentagon has identified China as America's "most challenging competition" in the region, where the PLA is attempting to expand its footprint.
Often referred to as "the tip of the military spear," Guam figures prominently in the U.S. government's Indo-Pacific Strategy. The island's strategic location makes it ideal for U.S. power projection amid escalating tensions in the region.
China owns a 4,000-km missile known as the DF-26, nicknamed “Guam Killer,” specifically built for the island
While projecting the missile defense architecture to provide a 360-degree shield for Guam, military officials maintained that the system is mainly envisioned as a deterrence.
Some critics, however, fear that the defense buildup might end up being a magnet for China’s aggression.
“While some residents may be concerned with the presence of this 360-degree defense system on the island, the reality is that we live in a different time and era with adversaries who are not just a few hours away proximity-wise but also have specific capabilities,” Moylan said.
Cruz said the “threat looming over Guam" underscored "the urgent need to bolster our island's preparedness. We must dramatically expand funding for Guam's civil defense, homeland security, and National Guard."
For most residents, it was just another day in paradise. China’s missile threats don’t prompt Guamanians to change their daily routines.
“I don’t know that anyone can predict what China’s plan is enough to be truly prepared,” said Nadia Holm, an environmental scientist for a federal contractor.
“Not scared at all. We’ve been to this situation before with North Korea and I am confident that the U.S. military can thwart China’s threat,” said Gina Tabonares-Reilly of Barrigada,
Edward Pingyuan Lu, a Taiwanese businessman who has been a longtime resident of Guam, said he got “worried a little bit,” noting that China has fired missiles into the Pacific before.
“I never underestimated the possibility of serious conflicts between China and the U.S.,” Lu said.
“I understand Chinese people’s culture and behaviors. I know Chinese are very good at doing vocal things. But if they really ‘do something,’ especially something they did not usually do before, it is absolutely needed to figure out their decision-making process of having the unusual things happened,” Lu said.
Meanwhile, the Offices of Guam Homeland Security and Civil Defense, U.S. Naval Base Guam and Andersen Air Force Base announced a routine testing of
the vital communication and advance warning system sirens on Oct. 1, starting at 3:15 p.m.
GHS/OCD said it will test the all-hazards alert warning system sirens in
conjunction with NBG and AAFB monthly routine testing of the giant voice
sirens.
“Residents, visitors and motorists surrounding the AHAWS sirens and GV speakers can expect to hear pre-scripted voice messaging announcing
the start and end of the test, and 60 seconds of the alert siren tone,” GHS/OCD said in an announcement.
“Future tests of the AHAWS sirens will be conducted on a monthly basis, in conjunction with NBG and AAFB, and will typically fall on the first Tuesday
of each month, unless it falls on an observed holiday,” it added.
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