WASHINGTON, 18 December, 2020, (TON):  The US military has warned that its warships would be “more assertive” in responding to violations of international law, citing in particular Beijing, which it accused of having expansionist ambitions in the South China Sea.

A major new report signed by the heads of the US Marine Corps, Navy, and Coast Guard warned the “rules-based international order is once again under assault”, and the security environment had dramatically changed since 2015.

The report said China and Russia were now “determined rivals” of the US, with China presenting “the most pressing long-term strategic threat”.

“China is the only rival with the combined economic and military potential to present a long term, comprehensive challenge to the US,” the report said.

“Our globally deployed naval forces interact with Chinese and Russian warships and aircraft daily,” the document said, noting their “growing aggressiveness” and calling China “the most pressing, long-term strategic threat”.

US ships would also “accept calculated tactical risks and adopt a more assertive posture in our day-to-day operations,” it said.

The US would also strengthen alliances and partnerships, saying the allies would “provide all-domain fires to help establish sea control and project power”.

The latest incident between the US and China naval forces took place in late August when Beijing said it had driven an American warship from the disputed Paracel archipelago.

China claims almost all of the islands of the South China Sea, territorial claims disputed by other countries in the region including Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines and Brunei.

The Pentagon report predicted that in the event of a conflict, both China and Russia would likely attempt to seize territory before the US and its allies could effectively respond.

To maintain strategic advantage over the Chinese navy, the US plans to modernise its naval force with smaller, more agile and even remotely piloted ships.

The biggest impact downward spiral of the US-China relations has been the growing military exercises and deployments in the South China Sea. The US has also been hardening its posture and military presence in the South China Sea (SCS), besides openly calling out China for its actions in these disputed waters.