April 11, 2016

"US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter has scrubbed China from his Asia tour which started Sunday, and will only visit India and the Philippines instead. Carter said during a speech Friday that the US is making 'enormous investments' in its capabilities.

It remains unclear whether Carter canceled his China visit because of technical reasons or because he intended to send a message. But this is not important. In the China-US military relationship, neither side is seeking favor from the other. In the past, bilateral military communications were lessened or even suspended in line with the ups and downs of the China-US relationship. In most cases, it is the US that is more active in resuming and improving communications.

If Carter canceled his China trip to express his dissatisfaction against China's action in the South China Sea, it only reflects that the US military is becoming less confident, and more sensitive and emotional. The US military is already quite advanced and strong. It seems that the US will never feel at ease until it has absolute military predominance over China. This explains that Washington's China strategy lacks justification. The US is using the South China Sea disputes as an excuse to intervene in the region. Washington's posture in the region is much more aggressive than the South China Sea policy it claims.

Washington cares more about China's rise. Claiming that China is flexing its muscles and wants to write the rules in the South China Sea, the US aims to suppress China."

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