Conflict in the South China Sea Would Be Devastating
The military goal to ensure Asia-Pacific security aims to prevent an economically disastrous war.
The recent global economic crisis would pale in comparison to the effects of a war fought over the South China Sea. A leading U.S. general warned that conflict in the potential flashpoint region could be devastating to many nations’ economies.
Lt. Gen. Francis J. Wiercinski, USA, commanding general, U.S. Army Pacific, warned the audience at TechNet Asia-Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaii, that “our nations’ economies would collapse” if there were to be a conflict in the South China Sea. “It is feasibly not viable for any nation to go to war over the South China Sea,” he declared.
The warfighter emphasized the need to prevent an outbreak of hostilities in more than just economic terms. “The most important domain is the human domain,” he said. “We live in Phase Zero operations every day—nobody is shooting anybody. It is preferable to Phase 3.
“Anyone who wants to go to conflict is not right,” the general declared.
