How important is India to the US in containing China?
Like the Philippines, its differences with China over the South China Sea are the total of the two nations’ relationship.
China’s freedom of navigation operations patrols
China is attempting to create a buffer zone in the South China Sea, militarizing artificial islands to keep away the US and its allies from patrolling the strategic waterway where about $3 trillion worth of annual trade passes.
Preparing for war
Together with the Army and the Air Force, the US Navy has been upgrading its capability to increase deterrence and discourage China from its plan to invade Taiwan by 2027.
