Beijing: In an in-depth interview with the SeaLight Foundation, the organization's Executive Director Ray Powell sheds light on China's strategic maneuvers in the Pacific that straddle the line between peace and conflict. Powell elaborates on China's deployment of coast guard patrols, maritime militia activities, construction of artificial islands, and sovereignty missions as tools to assert its claims over the South China Sea and areas surrounding Taiwan.

According to Deutsche Welle, Powell highlights how these actions are escalating tensions in the region, especially with challenges posed to commercial vessels and increased Chinese activities beyond the First Island Chain. These developments have heightened security concerns for neighboring countries such as Japan, Taiwan, and the Philippines. In response, regional partners are intensifying their defense cooperation to counterbalance China's assertive moves.