--- title: "This admiral is a great barometer for what the Chinese might do next" description: "Rear Admiral Zhang Zhaozhong is a leader in the Chinese Navy, a professor at Beijing's National Defense University, Chief Weapons Specialist and Strategist, and what some call \"the Head of the Strategic [Fool You]() Agency.\"" date: "2018-04-02" modified: "2020-10-21" authors: - name: "Blake Stilwell" job_title: "Editor-In-Chief, Air Force Veteran" link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/blake/" url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/articles/keep-eye-admiral-help-predict-chinese-will-next/" categories: - "Military News" tags: - "China" --- # This admiral is a great barometer for what the Chinese might do next ![]() Rear Admiral Zhang Zhaozhong is a leader in the Chinese Navy, a professor at Beijing's National Defense University, Chief Weapons Specialist and Strategist, and what some call "the Head of the Strategic [Fool You]() Agency." --- ![]() The last is a nickname he earned because Chinese Netizens came to realize quotes from Adm. Zhang would suddenly mean the opposite of his intent. He said the Chinese would use [fishermen]() on wooden boats to take out the new Zumwalt-Class destroyers, as the Chinese commissioned their first aircraft carrier, when he also said the Chinese defense against U.S. submarines would be "ropes of seaweed" a threat the U.S. did not foresee. He also publicly claimed the Chinese were not developing a fifth-generation stealth jet right before the Chinese test piloted its [J-20]() fighter in May 2011. ![]() *The J-20 Fighter (CCTV)* Admiral Zhang once criticized U.S. media for overestimating the threat of Chinese power. He said China could not keep pace with the U.S.if it wanted to, which it doesn't. He acknowledges the need to increase the strength of Chinese military, but only because of "provocation" from the United States. "American media like to make claims about how fast China's military will surpass the United States," Zhang [told]() Want China Times. "What I have to say is that China is not going to catch up with the United States even if it stopped all military projects. The admiral publicly stated China should do [everything]() in its power to protect Iran from U.S.-Israeli aggression, "even if it means a third world war." In response to the U.S. deploying a laser weapon on the *USS Ponce*, he said he believes the smog covering Chinese cities are the best defense from [laser]() weapons. "Under conditions where there is no smog, a laser weapon can fire \[at a range of\] 10km (6 miles)," he said, adding, "When there's smog, it's only 1km. What's the point of making this kind of weapon?" Zhang "retired" from the PLAN in 2015 and is now the most well-known and most senior military commentator on China's state television. ### NOW: [This is China's version of SEAL Team Six ]() ### OR: Here's how China's aircraft carrier stacks up to other world powers' ## Author Blake Stilwell is We Are The Mighty's Editor-in-Chief, covering military news, entertainment, and history, along with veteran education, employment and entrepreneurship. He is a former U.S. Air Force combat cameraman with degrees in Graphic Design, Television and Film, International Relations, Public Relations, Business Management and Middle Eastern Affairs. After leaving the military, he began working in film and television production in New York and Los Angeles, work that included ABC News, NBC Olympics, and HBO Sports. He then spent two years in Washington with White House Communications, before joining the Near East Foundation. At NEF he served as an International Development Fellow, then Communications Officer, and finally, Media Officer for the Middle East and Africa. Based in the Palestinian Territory, he coordinated strategic communications between eight country offices, international media, and government and NGO partners. He began a career focused on writing and editing in 2015 with We Are The Mighty. He left in 2019 for Military.com, but returned as Editor-in-Chief in 2025. Blake’s work has been seen on CBS News, Fox News, CBC, The Chicago Tribune, Task & Purpose, Military Times, Recoil, Skillset, American History, and was shockingly even used in a Supreme Court argument. He is an avid traveler and small business owner in Ohio, where he spends most of his energy fixing up a very old house. ### Author social links [Facebook]() [Twitter]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()