ABSTRACT
This chapter highlights that there are grave risks and dangers of inadvertent military conflicts between China and the United States, less because of intent but more likely because of miscalculations and lack of crisis-management mechanisms. A particular concern are the development of anti-access/area-denial (A2/AD) strategies and the evolving air-sea battle concept (ASBC) counter-measures that appear highly offensive and threatening to the other state. To prevent such conflicts from occurring or escalating, Beijing and Washington must engage in serious dialogues not only at the highest political level, to define the nature of their relationship, but also at the strategic nuclear and bilateral military levels to develop the necessary protocols whereby effective communication takes place regularly and crisis can be managed and defused. The People's Liberation Army (PLA) inability to compete directly with advanced US technologies has led it to focus on asymmetrical methods such as anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons in an effort to counter US military dominance.
