China's War Games Are Raising Tensions In Asia

China's coast guard launched a three-day live-firing drill in the Gulf of Tonkin and has barred all ships and boats from entering the region. REUTERS/Nguyen Minh/File Photo

Washington Post: China slams U.S.-South Korea military drills even as it stages naval war games of its own

BEIJING — China and the United States have been trading accusations as both sides conduct war games across East Asia, and tensions are rising from the South China Sea to the East China Sea to the Korean Peninsula in the midst of a regional arms race.

At the heart of the tensions lies the maritime territorial dispute in the South China Sea, as well as a growing divide on how to respond to North Korea’s nuclear weapons program, infecting China’s relations with South Korea, Japan and the United States.

Yanmei Xie, senior China analyst with the International Crisis Group (ICG) in Beijing, says China’s relations with its neighbors have deteriorated significantly, as the region continues to engage in an arms race.

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WNU Editor: This is not going over well with China's neighbours .... China Stages Live-Firing Drills in Tonkin Gulf Amid Tensions (AP), and now Russia is getting involved .... China, Russia to hold South China Sea ‘drills’ next month (Washington Times).