U.S. And China Flirting With Military Confrontation In South China Sea

China is rapidly expanding its military presence in the disputed waters and airspace of the South China Sea. A new high-tech surveillance drone is stalking foreign warships approaching the man-made artificial islands, creating tension in the region and a headache for the Pentagon as it feels obliged to defend and provide free navigation in what was once international waters. The simmering tension between the U.S. and China is reaching boiling point as the two sides flirt with overt military conflict.  The Daily Beast reports: Deploying ships, jet fighters, and, reportedly, a high-tech surveillance drone, Beijing is moving quickly to cement its claims on strategic islands, while also forcefully rebuffing America’s own military moves in the region. The Chinese escalation began in dramatic fashion on May 10, when the Chinese air force scrambled J-11 fighter jets to tail the U.S. Navy destroyer USS William P. Lawrence as the 500-foot-long warship sailed in international waters 12 miles from a new military installation Beijing has built on Fiery Cross Reef in the South China Sea between Vietnam and the Philippines. A rapid-fire series of confrontations followed. Chinese jets harassed U.S. planes, sparking alarm inside the Pentagon. And the Chinese air force reportedly deployed its [...]