China Warns War May Be Coming With US

The buildup of Chinese naval power in the South China Sea and recent groundbreaking on two island lighthouses are elevating tensions between the U.S. and China over the disputed region.

The release of a new white paper, "China’s Military Strategy," which indicates China plans to broaden its influence over the South China Sea, noting that the People's Liberation Army (PLA) will be adding "open seas protection" to "offshore waters defense" in its naval mission, is straining nerves in the U.S., where Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter has instructed his staff to come up with ways in which the United States can confront China's actions, Bloomberg News reports.

The paper was released just after an editorial in the state-run Chinese tabloid Global Times said conflict between China and the U.S. will be unavoidable if Washington doesn’t stop harassing Beijing for building islands and military facilities in disputed parts of the South China Sea.

"We do not want a military conflict with the United States, but if it were to come we have to accept it," the paper said.

In a briefing, PLA senior Col. Wang Jin commented, "The maritime battlefield has been broadened, and China’s navy needs to react to protect its rights globally," Bloomberg noted.

The white paper stated, "Some external countries are also busy meddling in South China Sea affairs; a tiny few maintain a constant close-in air and sea surveillance and reconnaissance against China.

"It is thus a long-standing task for China to safeguard its maritime rights and interests," Bloomberg reported.

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