US-China clash of civilisations is being played out in the South China Sea
Mark Valencia says the hard and soft power confrontation between the two has all the makings of an existential contest because both see it as their right and destiny to dominate and shape the international order.
A clash may be inevitable.
The struggle between the US and China for control of the South China Sea is symptomatic of a much deeper “clash of civilisations”.
According to Samuel Huntington, the originator of this theory, human conflict has transitioned to a new phase in which formerly dominated, abused and exploited cultures and nations of the non-Western world have increasingly become significant players in shaping the international order.
The Sinic culture led by China is prominent among them.
This possibly existential contest between it and the West – led by the US – is being played out in the…