CHINA and the United States are on a dangerous collision course in the disputed South China Sea, with the US determined to challenge the superpower’s bid for total dominance, and Beijing steadfastedly refusing to back down, an expert has warned.
Speaking at the end of a week which has seen Taiwanese air, sea and land forces conduct live-fire exercises simulating the repulsion of Chinese invasion, as well as the redeployment to the waterway of USS Nimitz and USS Ronald Reagan, Richard McGregor, a China expert at the Lowy Institute in Sydney, offered a grim assessment of the situation. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has described most of China’s claims in the South China Sea, where it has fortified numerous uninhabited islands, as “completely unlawful”. However, Mr McGregor said China was nevertheless pushing ahead with its plans, undeterred by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
He added: “The US feels it is late to the game, and is now looking at every option to push back against China.
“But China under Xi is not going to consider any backward step.
“There will be no recalibration in Beijing. It’s full steam ahead.
“Neither side is looking for an off-ramp. Don’t expect this to dial down anytime soon.”
Alexander Neill, an Asia-Pacific security consultant in Singapore Explaining China’s revitalised expansionist ambitions, added: “It’s basically a fait accompli.
“I would expect the US to challenge any fresh grabs, but China has already created the military bases and civilian infrastructure.
“They are saturating the South China Sea with their presence.
