Fact And Fiction: China-US Military Confrontation In The South China Sea

Hu Bo, The Diplomat: China-US Military Confrontation in the South China Sea: Fact and Fiction

The China-U.S. rivalry in the South China Sea is certainly growing, but war is still some way off.

No one doubts that the military competition and frictions are real and serious between China and the United States in the South China Sea, when they have rivalrous intentions, tit-for-tat strategies, and daily operational confrontations. China is accused of coercing U.S. allies and partners, militarizing disputed features, and seeking regional hegemony, and the United States is considered to be playing the South China Sea card and containing China’s rise as a maritime power. In the context of overall intensified strategic competition between the two countries, the South China Sea is even less likely to be an exception.

But the question remains: how fierce will the competition be? When every day is filled with news of maritime standoffs between China and the United States, many may wonder, will China and the U.S. slip into military conflict?

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WNU Editor: I concur with the above analysis. The rivalry between the U.S. and China is growing, and there is rhetoric from Chinese President Xi that China must be prepared for war. But war is still some way off.