Lokshin Grigory

Strategic Rivalry between China and the USA in the South China Sea

ЮГО-ВОСТОЧНАЯ АЗИЯ: АКТУАЛЬНЫЕ ПРОБЛЕМЫ РАЗВИТИЯ, 2019, №2(43), 54-73

 
Annotation: The article is devoted to the analysis of the systemic and growing conflict between the two "superpowers" in the South China SEA region. The author considers in detail the doctrine of "free and open Indo-Pacific region" adopted by the administration of D. Trump and the strategic goals and interests of China in this region. The author notes that in the view of Chinese experts and propagandists, all the actions of China are purely defensive and do not threaten anyone, but, in fact, they seriously infringe on the vital interests of neighboring States, especially Vietnam and the Philippines. No matter who started and who answers, the US and China, as shown in the article, are locked in a known security dilemma: action-counteraction.

Keywords: South China Sea, strategic rivalry, action-counteraction, controlled tension, free and open Indo-Pacific region, fait accompli policy