South China Sea: The Fight China Will Take to the Brink of War

China and the United States are competing for military dominance of the western Pacific Ocean and war could flare over the South China Sea, reports Peter Hartcher for the Sydney Morning Herald. Beijing has said it won’t comply with a ruling from the International Court of Justice in the Hague that upholds claims from the Philippines. The United States and Australia are not taking sides in the disputes over small islands and reefs in the South China Sea, and urge the parties to negotiate and settle the matter peacefully. Shi Yinghong, a professor of international relations at Renmin University suggests that China under Xi Jinping has goals that include being acknowledged as a superpower with the US as well co-managing global affairs with the US and dividing the world so China controls the Western Pacific with advantage over the US. No rising power has overcome rivals without war, historians suggest, and only the United States with the support of China’s neighbors has a chance of slowing the aggression. Xi has signaled that China is ready to stand firm on disputed areas in the South China Sea. – YaleGlobal