In a world of words, the saber rattling in any theatre of conflict can get all sides to the very edge of war.
Thus, the fiery exchanges between the United States and China lately, perhaps also between half of the European states and Beijing, should be handled with extreme caution.
On the South China Sea, where trade worth trillions of US dollars pass by eachyear, it would be tragic to see all sides come to blow.
With Chinese military modernisation, its resurgence as a maritime power is almost complete. Last month, China’s second aircraft carrier was completed at the port of Shandong in the country’s northeast.
https://www.nst.com.my/opinion/columnists/2020/09/624219/mirror-how-world-sees-china