Peking kann das Südchinesische Meer einnehmen, ohne einen einzigen Schuss abfeuern zu müssen

In an opinion piece for the *New York Times*, [Oriana Skylar Mastro](https://www.hoover.org/profiles/oriana-skylar-mastro) argues that the United States must act soon in the South China Sea to prevent the People’s Republic of China from establishing an incontestable military presence there. As she writes, “Neither U.S. option — standing up to China or backing down — is attractive. But unless the United States asserts itself, China will continue chipping away with its tactics of bluster and intimidation until its military presence in the South China Sea becomes so dominant that it no longer fears war.” She suggests that calling “China’s bluff” could take the form of the US assisting Philippine naval resupplies of outlying bases in the region or even directly resupplying those facilities itself, in conjunction with other allies such as Australia and Japan.