US Navy photo showing a confrontation between the USS Decatur, left, and Chinese warship 170, right, in the South China Sea, September 30, 2018. US Navy Photo
Lara Seligman, Business Insider/Foreign Policy: The US military is worried about China's scare tactics in the Pacific, and they fear things could get ugly
* US military officials have watched what they see as increasingly aggressive Chinese actions with concern.
* They worry Beijing could use these tactics, which fall short of actual armed conflict, to advance its interests.
JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii—US military forces in the Pacific are alarmed by what they see as an increasingly capable China using military intimidation and economic coercion to bully its smaller neighbors.
So far, these tactics fall short of actual armed conflict. But US defense officials here and in Washington, most of whom spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive topic, say if the United States does not stay on alert in the region, Beijing could use force to advance its interests—and Taiwan in particular is a major potential flash point.
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WNU Editor: Welcome to the new normal.
