Is China Fighting a War Without Firing a Shot?
It was at one of those newly created islands, known as Subi in the Spratly Island chain, stretching between the Philippines to the east and Vietnam to the west, that the U.S. sent a destroyer a couple of days ago, bearing an explicit message to China about freedom of navigation, and an implicit message as well, one aimed at the small, weak countries in the region worried about China’s growing power. The U.S., the message said, will not be intimidated by China, or its semi-jingoistic rhetoric, nor will it be deterred from asserting certain principles, in this case that artificially created islands built in disputed areas do not come with 12-mile territorial limits.
That brings us to the second thing to know about the SCS: naval destroyer or not, it’s going to be very hard for the United States, or its smaller regional friends, or any combination thereof, to stop China from asserting its claims and having its way in one of the world’s busiest sea lanes.
