US-China war 'inevitable' unless Washington drops demands over South China Sea
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Warning from state-run China newspaper as Beijing reveals plans for development of disputed South China Sea islands
China’s armed forces are to extend their operations and its air force will become an offensive as well as defensive force for the first time, in a major shift in policy that will strengthen fears of accidental conflict.
A policy document by the state council, or cabinet, said China faced a “grave and complex array of security threats”, justifying the change.
The People’s Liberation Army, including its navy and air force, will be allowed to “project power” further beyond its borders at sea and more assertively in the air in order to safeguard its maritime possessions, the white paper stated.
Chinese dredging vessels in the waters around Mischief Reef
The navy will add “open seas protection” to a traditional remit of “offshore waters defence”, it said.
The posture risks escalating the tension over disputed islands in the South China Sea and elsewhere in the Pacific, where the United States is determined to protect the interests of allies like Taiwan and the Philippines.
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