US needs smarter policies to avoid a China war

A group of men – knives and axes at the ready – boards opposing ships and immobilizes them. Think this is from the Age of Sail? Think again. China’s recent escalation of its dispute with the Philippines is another example of Beijing’s willingness to defend its claimed territory. This event follows a similar escalation in 2020 along the Sino-Indian border where both sides used sticks and stones to