Can Tensions In The South China Sea Lead To War?

Wyatt Olson, Military.com/Stars and Stripes: Could Tensions in South China Sea Lead to Armed Confrontation?

China will likely ramp up its efforts to expand and militarize disputed islands in the South China Sea -- an area critical to the global economy -- as a result of the U.S. Navy’s more assertive patrols in the region, China experts say.

And while many analysts applaud the Navy’s more robust approach with so-called “freedom of navigation” operations, there’s little agreement about whether such patrols will lead to armed confrontation in the South China Sea, where more than $1.2 trillion in U.S. trade passes annually.

Some believe the relationship between the two nations, whose economies are deeply entwined, has matured to the point that dialogue will defuse tensions and potential conflict.

WNU Editor: A direct U.S. - China conflict .... no. But China's current relations with its neighbours are stressed, and there have already been instances where these countries have clashed (albeit without using weapons) in this dispute.