United States and China: A “Silent” Confrontation

The strategic competition between the U.S. and the People’s Republic of China has grown in the region in recent months, which China must control in order to make the qualitative leap to world power. As the Asia and Pacific region has regained its deserved importance within the State Department, Pentagon and Trade Representative’s Office during Obama’s administration, this will not be easy.

Since the beginning of the summer of 2010, the United States has been involved in issues that have a unique regional character for the Chinese and their neighbors, which are vital to their survival and growth. Three foreign policy actions highlighted this: Statements made by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to the effect that American mediation in the dispute over the Spratly and Paracel Islands have become part of U.S. national interests; U.S. military exercises with South Korea, conducted with hopes of dissuading its northern neighbor from continuing its nuclear weapons program and as a demonstration to the other countries within the region; and the lifting of the ban on military cooperation with Indonesia’s Special Forces Units, who were sanctioned in the past for recorded human rights violations, but today have become relevant to the United States if it wants to ally itself with the world’s largest Muslim state, whose geographic location allows commercial and military control of the entirety of Southeast Asia.

For its part, China has conducted military drills with its Air Force, involving nearly 12,000 men, spy planes, combat jets and helicopters in a frank demonstration of its fighting capacity. China has strongly refuted Secretary Clinton’s remarks and noted that the dispute over the South China Sea is a matter of territorial consolidation, in line with the energy, food supply and geostrategic interests of this area and the Pacific — as part of which, for example, China announced tourist development plans in the disputed islands and warned Western petroleum companies to avoid making exploration and exploitation contracts with Vietnam. China is also getting closer to Indonesia to strengthen economic and military links, and gain a strategic ally and counterweight to Washington’s policies.

For the East Asian countries, this presently peaceful confrontation is a reality, though they do not wish to take sides in the event of direct antagonism. The two powers are moving their chess pieces, trying to prevent each other from achieving regional power, while increasing their own influence and control. Despite limited relevance to our local media, the global reality is overtaking traditional parochialism and will come to us sooner or later, as the competition evolves into subregions of a global character.

Perhaps it is already coming. Is it a coincidence that while the agreement with the United States regarding the use of its military bases has been dropped because of the Constitutional court, China announced the donation of one million dollars to be used on our military forces’ logistical areas, and in training and joint training announcements? More than coincidence, Colombia is already being pulled into such fights; its foreign office ought to be aware of how they are being carried out in order to make the best decisions for the country.