Tensions are likely to escalate in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) in the wake of the Permanent Court of Arbitration’s ruling that invalidated China’s claims and bolstered those of the Philippines.
China has rejected the PCA’s decision; its state-controlled media outlets called the court a “law-abusing tribunal.” One Chinese official even speculated that “money was involved” in the decision making. He seemed to imply that the Philippines bribed the PCA judges.
The United States, for its part, is determined to enforce the ruling and has stepped up naval patrols in the region in anticipation of China’s negative reaction. This is a dangerous game. China is more prepared for a confrontation than Western experts may expect. We are, quite literally, in perilous waters. U.S. leaders would do well to understand China’s military past, a history far more warlike than has long been thought of.
— Nostradino