Following its predecessors, the Biden administration threatened to go to war with China after a Chinese coast guard vessel scraped a Philippines ship on a resupply mission near a shoal in the South China Sea.
Shortly thereafter, a Chinese fighter flew within 10 feet of a U.S. bomber above the disputed tract of reefs and islets.
While U.S.-China relations appear to be emphasizing diplomacy, with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit to Washington and U.S. representation at China’s Xiangshan Forum, its premier defense conference, a possible conflict over sandbars is likely top of mind.
However, the U.S. pledge to go to war with a nuclear-armed China over largely uninhabited rocks and reefs—stemming from post-colonial disputes—is not credible, harms U.S. interests and creates unnecessary regional tensions.
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