The U.S. would stir in the South China Sea to make a flash point in Asia-Pacific Region .

A task force from the PLA Navy visiting Hong Kong. Qiao Liang believes more pressure should be put on nations with rival claims in the South China Sea. (Photo/CNS)

Qiao Liang, a Chinese general who co-authored the book Unrestricted Warfare says that China needs to think more like the United States when dealing issues regarding the South China Sea, according to Duowei News, a New York-based news outlet operated by overseas Chinese who are opposed to the Communist Party.
According to Qiao, what China lacks today is not really strength, but initiative and flexibility. He said that the only policy the Chinese government currently has when facing disputes with smaller nations with rival claims in the South China Sea is to back down. This should not be an option for a strong nation like China, Qiao said. He encouraged Beijing to learn more from the United States. Taking as an example the US bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade during the NATO bombing compaign against Serbia in 1999, Qiao said that the US ducked its responsibility for the incident by calling it "accidental."
Qiao said China should learn how to use its "smart power" better than the US and asked why the Chinese government is unable to copy the thinking of the United States. With the United States trying to contain China indirectly in the South China Sea region by allying with countries such as Vietnam and the Philippines, who have competing territorial claims in the maritime region, Qiao said China needs to find an appropriate way to counter this new challenge. Because the United States needs help from China in handling various diplomatic issues, Qiao suggested Beijing should use the issue of the South China Sea as a bargaining chip when dealing with Washington.
If the United States needs assistance from China in dealing with the international problems such as North Korea and Syria, China needs help from the United States in dealing with Vietnam and the Philippines. Relations between Beijing and Washington should be "equal," said Qiao. Qiao stated that it is important for China's leaders to know that Beijing should not be the only one to back down where its interests are concerned. When yielding to foreign powers, Qiao said the Chinese should gain something in return.
More than a decade after the bombing of the Chinese embassy in Yugoslavia, Qiao said China had learned very little from the lesson and should do more to protect its national interests in the South China Sea. It would not be wise for China to resolve the disputes by starting a war, but it should at least put some pressure on those nations wishing to exploit the natural resources in the region