As the rivalry between China and United States continues to develop, all eyes have been on the recent visit of Xi Jinping. In particular, Jinping’s sojourn to the White House was especially interesting, as the Chinese leader took a particularly bold tone with regard to the military ambitions and plans of the world’s most populous nation. Tougher Obama desired Many geopolitical analysts within the United States had hoped to see a tougher President Obama take on the Chinese directly, particularly with regard to the behaviour of the nation in the South China Sea region. With the Chinese premier having taken the time to visit the United States, the more aggressive and hawkish of geopolitical analysts suggested that Obama could take the opportunity to denounce Chinese military buildup in the region. Instead, the US president struck a conciliatory tone, symptomatic of the creeping influence of China in US strategic areas of interest. Some of the more pronounced observers suggested that the United States had effectively bowed to China. The history of the South China Sea region is a complex one, encompassing numerous nations to believe that they have a stake in the territory. Support from the United States in the region to those countries being overrun by China has been lethargic, or in fact bordering on non-existent. Obama has instead concentrated on replacing US military capabilities overseas, accommodating international rivals, and focusing on domestic policy agendas and legacies. With the United States taking no discernible action in the South China Sea region, it was predictable that the country with arguably the second most powerful military on the planet would take advantage of the situation. ValueWalk has reported on numerous occasions recently that China is steadily building up its own military capabilities, and in some areas China and Russia have even exceeded US military... More