While the world’s eyes were fixed on the unfolding horrors of the latest Middle East war, China was busy pushing the envelope in the South China Sea. On Sunday, a Chinese coast guard vessel and another Chinese ship rammed a Philippine supply boat and coast guard ship in international waters claimed by China around the Spratly Islands. The State Department gravely noted that the Chinese actions “violated international law,” but China appears unimpressed.
As readers of this column know, the most important international development on President Biden’s watch has been the erosion of America’s deterrence. The war in Ukraine and the escalating chaos and bloodshed across the Middle East demonstrate the human and economic costs when American power and policy no longer hold revisionist powers in check.