
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 US bomber above the disputed tract of reefs and islets.
While US-China relations appear to be emphasizing diplomacy, with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit to Washington and US representation at China’s Xiangshan Forum, its premier defense conference, a possible conflict over sandbars is likely top of mind.
However, the US 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 US interests and creates unnecessary regional tensions.
Author

Quinn
Marschik
Contributing Fellow
More on Asia

February 6, 2025

By Peter Harris
January 22, 2025

Featuring Lyle Goldstein
January 12, 2025

Featuring Dan Caldwell
January 12, 2025