US playing with fire by challenging China in her own backyard: Analyst

The United States is playing with fire -- to the detriment of the entire world's people -- by challenging China in her own backyard, says Professor Dennis Etler, an American political analyst who has a decades-long interest in international affairs.

Etler, a professor of Anthropology at Cabrillo College in Aptos, California, made the remarks in an interview with Press TV on Wednesday while commenting on reports which say the United States is negotiating with Australia to station long-range B-1 bombers in northern Australia, within striking distance of the disputed South China Sea.

Lt. Col. Damien Pickart, a spokesman for the US Air Force in the Pacific, said on Tuesday that talks are underway for possible deployments of B-1 bombers and an expansion of B-52 bomber missions.

“The proposed deployment of long-range B-1 bombers to Australia poses a direct threat to China,” Professor Etler said.

“Coupled with proposed naval and air bases in the Philippines, and planned joint naval exercises with Japan and India, China cannot but think that the US is trying to consolidate its position throughout the Indo-Asian-Pacific theater to counter the expanding influence of China's foreign diplomacy and the  extension of her maritime trade routes,” he added.

“Any objective observer can see that the outside agitator and aggressor in this conflict is the US with its militaristic Asian-pivot setting the stage.”

US challenging China’s sovereignty

“Why is the US attempting to do this now? China's claim to sovereignty over the South China Sea is nothing new and is not the issue. The US is only using it as an excuse to extend its reach in the Asian Pacific,” Professor Etler said.

“China has claimed the South China Sea since the last Imperial dynasty through the Republican era and the present Communist era. This was never of any importance to the US because in the past China could not project its power over the area. With China's modernization over the last 30 years it is now in a position to not only declare its sovereignty but to act accordingly,” he stated.

“If China did not do that it would basically be abandoning its claims. The US challenge is thus not over Chinese claims to sovereignty, but the exercise of her sovereign rights. The US is saying to China, give up your sovereign claims and rights to the South China Sea. That is like China telling the US, give up your claims and rights to Hawaii and Guam. Neither is not about to happen.”

US attempting to intimidate China

“Given the provocative statements and actions of the US, China cannot but respond with a vigorous defense of her rights. Using that as a pretext the US is trying to piece together a firewall around China to hem her in,” Professor Etler said.

“This in direct response to China's One Belt One Road project to extend trade routes and connectivity across Eurasia and into Europe, the Middle East and elsewhere, both by land and sea, to the benefit of one and all, including China,” he noted.

“In order to counter China's expanding economic and diplomatic influence the US sees only one option, military encirclement and intimidation. This however is not the first Asian Pivot for the US military, lest we forget the 20 years during which time the US fought in Southeast Asia to stop the spread of Communism. That failed miserably,” he continued.

“It is ironic that the US now sees fit to repeat history. The only problem is that China is now far more powerful in all respects than 40 to 50 years ago. The weapons of war today are far more sophisticated than then and the damage they can inflict far greater. The US in challenging China in her own backyard is playing with fire to the detriment of all the world's people,” the analyst concluded. 

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