Tianjin and the South China Sea

The recent explosions at Tianjin is a clear signal to China that the US will not stand by undeterred while China exerts its imperialist ambitions throughout the world, particularly the South China Sea.

Although the explosion at Tianjin was a direct response by the US against China's cyberwarfare against the United States, the message is clear that China can expect consequences for its actions.

Doves, pundits, talking heads, liberals and even conservatives and ex-military may all cite the fact that the explosion at Tianjin was due to unknown factors or the result of a horrible accident, but my sources are telling me something quite different - the explosion was planned, directed, orchestrated and timed. My sources are uncertain if the explosion and subsequent destruction of thousands of square meters of harbor infrastructure was the result of U.S. Special Forces on-scene or a stand-off attack from U.S. space-based weapon systems. They are, however, quite certain that the United States was behind these explosions.

The message to China should be clear and ring loudly: Any further incursion into U.S. cyber networks will be met with kinetic or a like-kind response. The corollary is that neither will the U.S. stand idly by while China builds up military forces in the South China Sea. Today, U.S. forces are entering the area to demonstrate freedom of navigation, project influence and support U.S. friends and allies in the region. Additional assets are also being deployed. Other assets have been tasked to systematically identify and assess Chinese strengths and weaknesses in the region while keeping track of all Chinese movements and positioning within the area.

While the 2016 political season gets underway in the US, China and other nations should note that the U.S. stands ready to defend its interests and those of its allies - if the current failed administration does not shoot itself in its own foot and resist the advice of its own military.