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Risk of military conflict between US and China higher than ever, experts say

  • Tensions rose after near-collision between American and Chinese destroyers, according to president of National Institute for South China Sea Studies
  • Existing communication mechanisms might not be sufficient to keep every encounter under control, Nanjing University professor says

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As tensions between China and the US have risen, hundreds of “track one” communication channels have closed down. Photo: Handout

The risk of a military conflict between China and the US is higher than ever as communication channels between the countries’ armed forces have fallen largely silent, Chinese experts say.

Wu Shicun, the president of the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, said that with Beijing and Washington locked in a rivalry on multiple fronts, the political distrust that had built up between them had led to hundreds of “track one” intergovernmental communication channels shutting down. 

According to a report about US military presence in the Asia-Pacific region released by the institute on Tuesday, communication between the US and Chinese armies has been in sharp decline since 2018.

Relations deteriorated after the US withdrew its invitation for China to take part in a large-scale, multinational naval exercises, known as Rim of the Pacific, two years ago.

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The US said it was in retaliation for the People’s Liberation Army deploying missile systems and landing a bomber aircraft in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, the report said.
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