Calls to Punish China Grow

Some in US Congress and the military expect President Barack Obama to rescind an invitation to China on participating in the 2016 Rim of the Pacific military exercises, known as RIMPAC. China’s critics warn “about its military buildup in the East China Sea and the South China Sea, which includes a rapid plan to build military-friendly infrastructure on new islands in waters where at least six Asian nations have competing claims,” writes Josh Rogin for Bloomberg News. China is reported to have added 600 acres to islets in the South China Sea, and US Senator John McCain expresses concern that China may declare a new air defense identification zone for the South China Sea as was done for the East China Sea in 2013. Rogin concludes that China pays no price for an aggressive stance in waters claimed by others. US departments and military branches struggle over how to respond, whether to cooperate with the rising military and trade power or to cool relations. – YaleGlobal