Chinese claims may start another world war

By Cesar Lumba, Las Vegas

Friday, Aug. 14, 2015 | 2 a.m.

The third World War, if it comes, will not start in the Middle East, where the protagonists have turned their epic battles and enmities into a lucrative business. It will likely start in Asia, in the South China Sea.

The Chinese claim 90 percent of the sea belongs to them. Their neighbors — Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan — all have competing claims on major parts of the sea based on the United Nations Convention on the Laws of the Sea.

China’s claims are dubious at best and insulting to other countries in the region at worst.

Recall that in the early 20th century, Japan peddled the concept of a co-prosperity sphere, premised on the syllogism that Asia is for Asians and the Japanese are Asians; therefore Asia is for the Japanese. The same logic emanates from the twisted, militaristic minds of China’s leaders who seek to jettison the U.S. out of the area, which the U.S. relies on for much of its commerce.

China and the U.S. are therefore on a collision course, and China’s bullying of its neighbors assures that at some point China likely will find itself in military conflicts with its neighbors. Russia threatens to support Chinese imperialism, leading to a much wider, perhaps global conflict.

The best outcome is for negotiated settlements, but if war between China and the U.S. is inevitable, it is important that it happens soon, while we still hold a huge advantage in military hardware and battle-ready troops.