You don’t need to be a military expert to understand that China has global ambitions. There have been numerous indications of their intent to expand their influence, grow their economy, and create a larger military presence. Recently a leak on Discord occurred and damning evidence was released of an initiative known as Project 141. The Pentagon has been mostly quiet about the notion, however, it’s clear that China has been setting up logistical necessities and infrastructure while working on expanding its military installations outside of its own nation. Sound familiar? Related read: Discord Leaks Over Ukraine Continue to Puzzle Officials, Air National Guardsman Arrested

What is Project 141?

While we don’t know all of the details of Project 141, the general idea is that it’s the codename for China’s plan to expand overseas. This can be accomplished through various efforts to improve its commercial outlook as well as its global military presence. For China, Project 141 is believed to involve everything from creating military installations on artificial islands around the nation itself, establishing bases in foreign countries, and creating a vast network of commercial infrastructure to support the nation and its military around the world. There is some evidence of such trends found in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), but it doesn’t stop there. More recently, a joint-military training facility in Cuba sparked rumors and concerns involving Project 141 and that China's motives may involve surveillance on the U.S. To be fair, there was a lot of speculation but now there is a lot more evidence. Specifically, because of the leak that occurred on Discord during a debate about the Ukraine war that continues to rage on today. Suggested read: How Many Nukes Does China Have and How Did We Get Here?

The Discord Leaks Exposed What Many Already Suspected

The Discord Leaks that would occur allegedly at the hands of Jack Teixeira of the Air National Guard have been so far pretty harmless. There are some embarrassing pieces of information and some security details that required whatever adjustments none of us are cleared for, but overall, it’s been minimal. Yet, lost in the hot buzzwords about Ukraine’s war is Project 141. This was part of the leak and a concept that was well known by many in and outside of the military, even if it never had a name. Seeing as Project 141 came from the leak on Discord, it would make sense that so far, the U.S. government has been pretty hush-hush about the situation. There is an ongoing investigation as well as national security to consider. But the fact remains that all signs point to an expansion of China in the world as we know it.

How Much Longer Will the Pentagon Be Able to Stay Quiet About Project 141?

Once things are out there, it’s difficult to take them back, and this is the case with China’s Project 141. There hasn’t been a lot of buzz about the information on China’s expansion, and in some ways, the lack of noise is much more deafening. It’s a bit of a quagmire for the United States. Of all the countries in the world, it’s hard to find a more hypocritical nation than the U.S. when it comes to criticizing another nation for expanding its world influence through commercial and militaristic means. But China remains our friend one day, almost enemy the next, and rival constantly. It always raises concern when a superpower of such stature decides to expand its influence and reach on a scale that rivals our own, at least in its design. The actual effects of Project 141, or its confirmation for that matter, have yet to be fully seen and in many ways, it presents opportunities for the U.S. as well. But as tensions remain high, every move will be put under a microscope, and it sadly feels as if we are much closer to butting heads than collaborating as things stand now. Read next: Pearl Harbor Oil Leak Reaches Boiling Point as Pentagon Takes Action