Opinion | The US-China problem in the South China Sea: one man’s militarisation is another man’s self-defence

The US accuses China of militarising the South China Sea, but to Beijing, it is the Pentagon that has aggressively projected power in the region. The US also has a troubling policy of taking pre-emptive action against perceived threats

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A US fighter jet prepares to land on the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan following a patrol at international waters off the South China Sea. Photo: AP

Published: 3:00am, 20 Aug 2019Updated: 5:51am, 20 Aug 2019

The South China Sea is a nexus of the China-US contest for dominance in the region. In the heat of this struggle, the United States has frequently accused China of all sorts of bad behaviour there.

Specifically, it has characterised China’s actions as “militarisation”, assertiveness and even “bullying” – sometimes rightly. These are serious allegations with serious political and legal implications. But the US is also guilty of similar behaviour.

Indeed, it is hypocritical of the US to make accusations against China, then withdraw from an arms control treaty with Russia and announce that it will place more missiles in Asia.

The US accuses China of militarising the South China Sea by deploying jet fighters and missiles on features it occupies.

What constitutes militarisation with offensive intent, aggression, assertiveness or bullying is in the eye of the beholder, and cannot be unilaterally defined by any one country

In China’s view – as well as that of several Southeast Asian countries – it’s the US that has militarised the region by assertively and aggressively projecting power there.

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