Asia ‘rapidly sliding towards war’ and US is to blame, Chinese professor says
Article argues region is becoming a ‘powder keg’ and highlights Washington’s efforts to set up network of alliances to counter Beijing
Asia risks becoming a “powder keg” that could trigger World War III, according to a prominent Chinese academic who blamed the United States and its allies.
“Despite the US claims to achieve peace in Asia under its leadership, the reality is quite the opposite – Asia, under US dominance, is rapidly sliding towards war,” he wrote in an article first published last week on the WeChat public platform.
Zheng argued that the Asia-Pacific region was destined to be the battleground for any future world war, as it contained all the key elements: economic interests, US involvement, efforts to set up an Asian equivalent of Nato, military modernisation and nationalism.
Although the US and China have tried to prevent tensions from boiling over, there are still deep divisions on issues ranging from trade and technology to space, while the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait remain major potential flashpoints.