Dealing With China

There is a clear power shift taking place in the world. China has been on the rise ever since they started their own industrialization. With the new economic power has given the ability to project themselves as a major player in the international theater.  But with this new found power a new potential threat to the United States rears its head. While conflict is not likely at the moment, it is important to take the necessary steps to mitigate and prepare for any potential conflict.

But the interesting question is; what is the most likely conflict to arise involving China? I personally think it will evolve out of the border disputes in the South China Sea and with Japan. China could easily become interested in gain a stronger hold on the south china see do to the economic resources it has. It is estimates that roughly $5.3 trillion dollar worth of trade passes through the South China Sea per year. Beyond this it holds 11 billion barrels of oil and 190 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. Both the aspect of regulating trade and controlling natural resources make this territory very alluring. But other countries that the United States is allies with claim a number of the Islands in the South China Sea. So if conflict breaks out we would most likely be dragged into the mix.

So, now that we have decided what our conflict will look like how do we prevent or prepare for it. And what is being done right now is what I would do if it was my choice. The United States is currently shifting its military interest from the Middle East even with the trouble stirring up with ISIL, the military’s strategy wanders to a new theater. That theater is the Pacific. We are shifting our focus and looking to supporting our allies in the pacific such as, Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines. With an increased presence in the region we can deter China from becoming too bold and attempting to annex island and threaten the safety and stability of our allies and interests in the Pacific. While doing this we can focus on helping the already established Japanese, South Korean, and Philippine militaries to be prepared to take a forward position in dealing with any possible problems they might face as China continues to rise. By doing this we can lessen the brunt of the potential conflict on ourselves and quite possibly with proper strategic checks and balances we could avoid a conflict all together.