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[martinuzz]

Around the same time yesterday, when Putin announced a surpirse armed forces excercise, in response to the NATO having one of their own in Northern Europe, the Chinese army presented it's new policy for the South Chinese sea: the Chinese army will deploy naval and air forces "offensively and defensively" over the South Chinese Sea.
This is a major shift in foreign policy; traditionally, China has kept itself to defending it's own coasltine. However, "complicated threats and challenges in the South Chinese Sea require a different approach"

This statement is made in the light of increasing tensions over the naval territory. China claims most of the South Chinese Sea for itself, but 5 smaller Asian countries, most of them allies of the US, also claim territorial rights for part of it. Recently, the US has involved itself more and more actively in the matter.

The Chinese state owned newspaper in english, Global Times, writes that "if Washington continues like that, war will be unavoidable".     (Geesh, since when does China allow Kim Jong Un to write articles for their newsaper?)
With "that" they are referring to the spy plane with television reporters who flew by the artificial new islands that China is creating in the area (by pumping sand on top of coral reefs). America has protested about those, and demanded the Chinese cease building those, since they are not in Chinese territorial waters.

The Chinese minister of foreign affairs has demanded an apology from America for the spy plane. Instead of an apology though, Joe Biden has called upon newly graduated recruits to "prepare for the South Chinese Sea", adding that "tensions are rising as we speak, but we will be there to enforce peace".
It is scheduled that in 2020, 60% of the American Navy will be stationed in the Asian Pacific.

[Sergarr]

the ride never ends

[NullForceOmega]

When you look at China's history, this is nothing new, China has always been an aggressively expansionistic empire, and to think that the last hundred years has changed that is ridiculous.  War between China and *someone* (probably the U.S., but I'm willing to give cooler heads the benefit of doubt) is absolutely assured.

[RedKing]

When you look at China's history, this is nothing new, China has always been an aggressively expansionistic empire, and to think that the last hundred years has changed that is ridiculous.  War between China and *someone* (probably the U.S., but I'm willing to give cooler heads the benefit of doubt) is absolutely assured.

Umm...no?

There are long periods of Chinese history where they were not expansionist (in part because their world-view was that they already controlled the "known world" and everything beyond their borders was just the domain of ghosts and savages and not worth the bother).

I will concede that they've been assertive in the South China Sea over the last several years. I think this is more "testing the waters" (no pun intended) than a real attempt to gain territory. In the same way that American interventionism in the late 19th and early 20th century in the Western Hemisphere wasn't about naked aggression as much as asserting our "sphere of influence".

China is still far too dependent on international trade to risk a shooting war, especially one with its largest trading partners.

[LordBucket]

War with China would be dumb. For both countries.

[Egan_BW]

That means it's *guaranteed* to happen, right?

[Sergarr]

That means it's *guaranteed* to happen, right?

like i've said, the ride never ends

[TheDarkStar]

War with China would be dumb. For both countries.

That means it's *guaranteed* to happen, right?

Since when has war been generally beneficial?