US-China rivalry puts Pacific centre stage for world’s navies
- The US Indo-Pacific command is planning a near-month-long series of global exercises with major allies including Japan, Britain and Australia
- Meanwhile China will conduct exercises in the disputed South China Sea as its seeks to assert its claim to the waters
Washington maintains that it is trying to safeguard regional security by pushing back against Chinese claims, but Beijing says sending warships to the disputed waters is a provocation.
Shahriman Lockman, an analyst at the Institute of Strategic and International Studies in Malaysia, said: “Both the US and China have house-trained each other to anticipate their presence in the South China Sea.
“As long as both sides remain professional, the risk of conflict can be kept under control.
“Each side is intent on signalling their resolve to maintain their presence in the area. This can sometimes be a double-edged sword for the Southeast Asian claimants as tensions could occasionally flare, but the Southeast Asian claimants wouldn’t begrudge this very much if the presence of one keeps the other honest.”