South China Sea is getting more dangerous for everyone.

The Asia-Pacific Region will spend $533 billion on defense annually by 2020. That's very close to what the United States spends on defense, and a lot more than the region used to. Bloomberg reports that China and countries squaring off against China are responsible for the unprecedented surge.

The People's Republic of China has been increasing defense spending about 10 percent annually for more than two decades. Although dramatic, for most of the 90s and aughts, it still left the impression that China was militarily weak: In 1989, it spent only ten times more on its military than New Zealand and hadn't been involved in a shooting war for decades.

All of that changed after 2010, when China took an assertive, even aggressive stance against Japanese territorial claims in the East China Sea, including the establishment of an Air Defense Intercept Zone over the sea. Since then, China has gone on to claim approximately 90 percent of the South China Sea, alarming its neighbors.   This newly assertive behavior has spooked the rest of Asia, and as a result defense spending started to creep upward. According to Bloomberg, military spending globally is up one percent, but spending in Asia and Oceania is up five percent. Almost every country in Asia—Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and others—are all raising spending. If current trends hold, all of Asia will be spending $533 billion by the year 2020.

What impact will this have for the United States? The Asia-Pacific region is actually a very friendly towards the U.S., with most countries having cordial relationships—and some, like South Korea and Japan have outright military alliances. The only real possible threat to U.S. superiority in the region is China, which will account for just over half of the $533 billion total in 2020. The rest of that spending will be by pro-U.S. countries—or countries like Vietnam with goals that align with those of Washington.

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Commentary: U.S. display of military power act of hegemony
By Zhong Sheng (People's Daily Online) 16:50, June 22, 2016
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Two American aircraft carriers conducted practice drills in the waters not far from the coast of the Philippines islands in recent days. John M. Richardson, Chief of Naval Operations let it be known on June 20 during a meeting at the Center for a New American Security that it was not at all ordinary for the United States to dispatch two aircraft carriers to one single ocean region, and that it represents the commitment of the U.S. to maintain security in this region, and that it also serves as “deterrence” for related countries.

Conveying a so-called message about security through the exhibition of military might, and furthermore describing the events as an act of deterrence is something that the U.S. has done far too many times. Regardless of how many times it may have gone smoothly in other parts of the world the U.S. has chosen the wrong opponent by selecting China for this type of game. Behind all of this is lack of patience and brassy moves and it also reveals a nature of hegemony beneath the surface.

Statements from high ranking officials in the U.S. military as well as the aircraft carrier drills themselves once again demonstrate that the U.S. is definitely not a regional security safeguard, and instead precisely a trouble maker. In the regard of the South China Sea issue, the U.S. is playing an extremely destructive role.

For a period of time, the U.S., by making what appears to be a show being very much in earnest to advertise militarization dangers in the South China Sea is putting the hat that balances regional peace and stability onto China’s head in a sly manner . Yet in reality, what people see is that the U.S. aircraft carriers have arrived, that the U.S. strategic bombers have arrived, that the U.S. guided missile destroyers sailing with a flag representing “freedom of navigation” have not only approached near to Chinese islands, the Americans together with allies have conducted military drills one after another, so the question is who is promoting the militarization of the South China Sea, who is trying to turn the South China Sea into a gunpowder bucket?

The United States is a country outside the territory of the South China Sea, coming from one side of the Pacific Ocean all the way to the other side of the Pacific Ocean to demonstrate their military power is for the purpose of intensifying the situation and to provoke disturbances and break peaceful stability and then to fish in troubled water and make an effort to maintain hegemony thereat at all costs. This deceitful business is despised in the regard of international law, and it is also harmful to the security benefits of the country.

The U.S. once indicated that it would guarantee to China that it would not take sides regarding South China Sea matters. However, the aforementioned behaviors conducted by the U.S. military indicate that it was false, and also allow people to see clearly that the origin of disputes in the South China Sea is the desired provocation on the behalf of the U.S.

In the regard of the South China Sea issue, China’s will to maintain national sovereignty and territorial integrity is as solid as a boulder. If it is not China’s then we don’t need a single piece of it, but if there is a piece of land that is supposed to be China’s then it must be maintained. Any person should not have dreams or fantasies about this.

China will continue to maintain strict supervision of the sea area conditions and will take appropriate measures should there be any incidences, and defend against the occurrence of situations that harm Chinese territorial sovereignty or security benefits. China’s will and actions equate to something that the U.S. should be clear about. China will not let other countries have their way with their temper or to act arbitrarily regardless of the rules in the regard of South China Sea stability.

This article was edited and translated from 美国，炫耀武力就是搞霸权！source: People's Daily