Worsening China-US relations ‘raise risk’ of conflict in Asia-Pacific

Chinese analyst says maritime tensions and challenges to China’s core interests by US could trigger military confrontation

Regional security would also be undermined if rivalry between the two countries triggers an arms race, South China Sea symposium hears

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US military activity in the South China Sea has increased, alongside rising tensions between Washington and Beijing. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 10:00pm, 4 Nov 2022

A senior Chinese military analyst has warned that worsening relations between China and the US are raising the risks of a maritime conflict in the Asia-Pacific region.

Yao Yunzhu, an academic committee member at Tsinghua University’s Centre for International Security and Strategy, also said the rivalry between the two countries could lead to an arms race that would undermine regional security.

Yao Yunzhu, a retired PLA major general, serves on the academic committee of Tsinghua University’s Centre for International Security and Strategy. Photo: Handout

She was speaking on Thursday at the two-day Symposium on Global Maritime Cooperation and Ocean Governance in the southern Chinese island province of Hainan. Researchers from 20 countries and regions attended to discuss maritime affairs and global ocean governance around the South China Sea.

“The confrontation in Sino-US relations continues to rise, so it is difficult to ignore the possibility of a maritime military conflict,” Yao said.

“[This] may be triggered by frequent encounters and accidents between naval vessels and aircraft of the two countries, and may also be triggered by challenges to China’s core interests [by the US].”

Yao, a retired army major general, said both countries were unwilling to see such a conflict and maintained a strategic communication channel to manage and prevent crises.