From the U.S. perspective, the reasons include more assertive Chinese behavior in the region, such as the unilateral declaration of a large “air defense identification zone,” the staking out of expanded claims to territorial seas, and the physical expansion of islands in the South China Sea; a Chinese military buildup across the board; widespread theft of intellectual property; a persistent large trade imbalance in China’s favor that many in the United States judge to result at least in part from unfair trading practices; and an increase in Chinese political repression at home.
