A Look At How China's Military Build-up Threatens The U.S.

Clay Dillow, special to CNBC: How China's military buildup threatens the US

As China continues to pour billions into its massive military buildup, a pressing concern is its territorial ambitions in the South China Sea. Within the next two weeks the Pentagon is expected to send U.S. Navy warships to the area that will steam past China's artificial South China Sea islands in the first direct challenge to China's claims in the region.

The stakes are high, and the U.S. naval action could drive them higher still. Trillions in global seaborne trade transit the South China Sea each year (including roughly $1.2 trillion in goods bound for U.S. ports), but the vast majority of East Asia's energy resources pass through the Strait of Malacca and South China Sea as well.

The sea itself could also be a source of vast mineral wealth. The U.S. Energy Information Administration estimates that there could be 11 billion barrels of oil and 190 trillion cubic feet of natural gas lurking in the seabed there.

If the naval maneuvers are approved, they would mark a material escalation in what, up to this point, has been largely a war of words between U.S. and Chinese officials.

WNU Editor: It is not only the U.S. that China is trying to face down .... but also most of Asia. Will China succeed .... probably not .... but who knows what the situation will look like in 10, 20, or 30 years .... and it is the long view that China primarily plans its formulates strategies from.