International security

The Biggest Problem Between China And The United States Isn't The Trade War

There are many problems between China and the United States, including the potential trade war that has unsettled global financial markets. This isn’t the biggest problem between the two countries though. That would be the growing antagonism between the countries and the South China Sea and Africa. This problem could last for years, if not decades, and it could lead to military confrontations between the two countries.

The South China Sea is at the forefront of the economic and political agenda in Beijing. It marks the opening of the maritime Silk Road for China, a project that aims to make China the next major economic leader in the world. Roughly $5 trillion of merchandise moves through the sea each year.

Then there are the claims Beijing has made that it owns “historical” rights to the South China Sea. Every single inch of it. Beijing defends those rights using intimidation, which bolsters Chinese nationalism, which helps to further propagate the Chinese political status quo.