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"The South China Sea is still going to be a flash point," said Bryan Clark, a retired submarine officer who is now an analyst with the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments in Washington. "He's clearly got that on his radar now and has spoken about it a couple of times."
What should the U.S. and its close allies do about China’s strategic expansion into the South China Sea?
The U.S. Navy and Marine Corps have been the world's most formidable amphibious force for more than seven decades. They have maintained more than 10 ships and 6,000 Marines continuously deployed since World War II, and conducted dozens of operations against contested beaches, islands, and cities in that time. The competition between amphibious forces and defenders ashore, however, is entering a new, more deadly, phase.
Today the Navy and Marine Corps are facing a fundamental choice: maintain current levels of forward presence and risk breaking the force or reduce presence and restore readiness through adequate training, maintenance, and time at home.
