JSPES, Vol. 37, No. 3 (Fall 2012)
pp. 279-321

A Possible China-US Confrontation in the Far East?

James H. Hughes

Albuquerque, New Mexico

China’s rising military and economic power and its perceived need for a secure source of oil are causing it to put pressure on its Pacific neighbors, with a view to securing control of assumed oil resources in the South China Sea and other potential undersea oilfields. The Obama administration is responding by diverting a significant proportion of U.S. naval resources to the Asia Pacific as a deterrent to further diplomatic and military threats by Beijing. This article explores the possibility of a confrontation between the U.S. and China stemming from China’s increasing assertiveness.