Last month, China announced a 12.2 percent increase in defense spending for 2014. This decision, in conjunction with a number of recent territorial disputes, has added to the rising tension between China and its neighbors. According to Jonathan Holslag of the Brussels Institute of Contemporary China Studies, China will continue attempts to strengthen its territorial control in Asia.
"What we are seeing is just the beginning of an effort of China to break through the security perimeter that the U.S. traditionally tries to maintain in the Western Pacific," Holslag told Stars and Stripes. "China knows that it can only recover what it calls lost territory if the U.S. is kept at a distance."
China's attempts to intimidate neighbors
The news source noted that American allies in Asia – notably Japan and the Philippines – have become increasingly concerned about China's power-hungry tendencies after a series of disquieting incidents. Given China's recent acts of provocation, these allied countries have sought protection from the U.S. military.
Late last year, China introduced a regulation that required foreign aircraft to provide information about their flight paths upon entering an "air defense identification zone." However, China did not seem willing to show the same respect to its neighbors. Three Chinese aircraft – a surveillance plane and two bombers – encroached on Japan's airspace March 9, causing Japan's air force to prepare its fighter jets in self-defense. These events, along with the knowledge that the U.S. will reduce military spending in the next few years, have led to the perception that China is gaining control while U.S. power declines.
U.S. remains powerful mediator in Asia
Nonetheless, Holslag insisted that it is highly unlikely that China would be able to dramatically alter its military balance with the U.S. in the near future. Even after its spending increase, China's 2014 defense budget – $132 billion – still pales in comparison to the U.S.' figure of $495.6 billion.
Additionally, American allies in Asia have certain military advantages over China despite having smaller budgets. According to Agence France-Presse, the International Institute for Strategic Studies' Military Balance 2014 report indicated that the militaries of South Korea and Japan were both superior to China in terms of technology. The French news source also suggested that Japan's military has better training, equipment and facilities than China's.