China and the US have been at odds over several issues including Taiwan and the South China Sea. Tensions between the two countries that could trigger a world war have risen as of late when Chinese state media slammed Washington’s deployment of warships in the South China Sea.
Fears of a world war have been stoked as of late as reported by Express when China’s state media outlet Global Times criticized the US deployment of the Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group into the South China Sea. This is the first time the carrier strike group was deployed in 2021 and is set to carry out maritime security operations such as flight operations and maritime strike exercises.
“Hopefully when Chinese warships pass through the Caribbean Sea or show up near Hawaii and Guam one day, the US will uphold the same standard of freedom of navigation. That day will come soon,” said Global Times editor Hu Xijin on Twitter.
In response to Hu’s comments, the US Navy said that the Navy has long “upheld the standards of freedom of navigation longer than the PLA Navy has existed.”
China claims that it has sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, but its claims overlap those of surrounding countries including Taiwan. Back in 2016, an international tribunal ruled that China has no legal basis in international law for making such claims, a ruling that Beijing has chosen to ignore. China continues to assert its dominance over the region and has criticized the maritime presence of the US and other Western countries who have opposed China’s claims.
Aside from the tensions over the South China Sea, there is also the long-running conflict between Russia and Ukraine that could spell world war. This comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that an all-out military conflict with Russia seems possible. At the Yalta European Strategy Summit, Zelensky warned that the worst thing that could happen over the issue of the eastern border would be a war with Russia.
Zelensky explained that he has attempted to reach out and meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss the ongoing conflict but has been unsuccessful. Zelensky went on to say that it is apparent that Russia has no interest in resolving the issue without the need for war.