The United States claims that it does not take a position on the sovereignty disputes regarding islands in the South China Sea. Its military actions, however, prove otherwise.

In the past several months, the US military has visibly ratcheted up its posture in the South China Sea. By using "freedom of navigation" as a pretext, the US has been directly challenging China's sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea and siding with the Philippines against China. It has moved from behind the scenes to center stage and become deeply involved in the disputes.

The US knows full well that it is impossible to deter China from defending its rights in the South China Sea. By deploying military assets on top of a series of diplomatic and public opinion campaigns, Washington hopes to pressure China into accepting a settlement of the disputes that suits the US. But that is a miscalculated move.