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US military presence risks conflict in South China Sea, Boao Forum hears
- ‘Smell of gunpowder getting stronger’ as deployments by American forces in the region set historical record
- Former Philippine president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo warns war could erupt if ‘zero-sum game mentality’ keeps up
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Amber Wangin Beijing
US military deployment in the South China Sea is at an historical high, adding to the risks of a conflict in the region, Chinese analysts and officials warned during the Boao Forum for Asia.
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“The smell of gunpowder in the South China Sea is getting stronger,” said Wu Shicun, founding president of the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, during a panel discussion on Thursday.
“US destroyers recently entered the territory of the Paracel Islands twice within two days, setting a new historical record,” Wu said. The number of US military bases in the region had increased to nine, and clearly targeted not only the South China Sea, but also the Taiwan Strait, he added.
Wu said Washington and its allies had a clear intention of countering Beijing. He warned that coastal countries of the South China Sea should “think twice” about providing military bases to countries outside the region.
They should also “be cautious” about military exercises conducted by the US and its allies in the region, he said.
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There were about 1,000 sorties by large US reconnaissance aircraft in the South China Sea region last year, according to a report by the South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative.
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