Sea of Trouble: 'US-China tension spells trouble for Asia-Pacific'

[The Northerner]

China has hit back at the US for criticizing its new military garrison in the South China Sea. The Sansha base was created just two weeks ago on Chinese territory. But it's in an area where competing territorial claims pit Beijing against the Philippines and Vietnam, among others. China set up the outpost to administer thousands of square miles of water it says are within its sovereignty. But Washington believes it's an attempt to occupy the entire South China Sea, which is rich in oil resources. The US has tens of thousands of military personnel in Asia-Pacific, and views itself as a stabilizing influence in the region.

But Conn Hallinan, a senior analyst at Foreign Policy in Focus, believes regional tensions could escalate into an even wider conflict.

[xtraxritical]

1. "Somebody will make a mistake, and things go awful fast in this world." You think, go figure.

[Franker65]

2. Chinese deserve their garrison

If its the garrison was constructed on Chinese territory, I really don't see the problem. The US has extensive forces in Japan, Australia, Guam and many other locations. A small Chinese base should be well within their rights.