Beijing is trying to push its neighbors out of the
oil-rich South China Sea (East Sea), and one think-tank warns that the tensions
could soon boil over.

An Australian think tank is warning that China’s aggressive patrolling in the
East Sea could ignite a war. Chinese ships have harassed — and even allegedly
rammed — ships from Vietnam and the Philippines, turning the waters into “a
danger zone,” says the Lowy Institute report.

Though China claims sovereignty over the East Sea, other nations have staked
claims to parts of it, including islands perched atop big oil and natural gas
deposits. (The sea is sometimes referred to as the “Second Persian Gulf.”) With
so much at stake, is war inevitable?

All sides are certainly preparing for the worst: “China is indeed serious” about
its claims on the disputed islands, says Mark Valencia at The Japan Times, even
though its legal case is weak, and its bullying is undermining its recent “charm
offensive” toward its neighbors. “At this point, all one can say is hold on to
your hat,” Valencia said.

You can bet America would douse any conflict: “With China showing greater
willingness to use a muscular approach,” says Daniel Alpert at EconoMonitor,
another powerful nation has to step up as a counterweight. The Japanese, who
have their own problems, can’t do it. That leaves the U.S. to intervene — if it
“cares about Asia’s balance of power” — and get involved in these territorial
disputes.

But America might not want this fight: China just flexed new naval muscle by
launching its first aircraft carrier, says Peter Goodspeed at Canada’s National
Post, and is planning to start drilling for oil in some of the disputed areas
this July.

Though the U.S. Senate this week condemned China’s use of force against rival
ships, China has warned Washington to stay out of the dispute or avoid getting
“burned.” Staring down Beijing is an increasingly dangerous game and one the
U.S. might not want to play.

Source: theweek