Manila, May 11—The U.S.-China rivalry is redrawing Asia-Pacific battle lines in 2026, with maritime chokepoints like the Malacca Strait, Taiwan Strait, and South China Sea at the epicenter. Washington has poured $20 billion into alliances with Japan, South Korea, Philippines, and Taiwan, deploying hypersonics to counter Beijing's Spratly, Paracel, and Senkaku fortifications.
Trade salvos escalate: U.S. curbs on semiconductors and critical minerals provoke Chinese retaliation, decoupling supply chains. Cyberattacks, traced to state actors, hit Philippine grids and Japanese firms, per U.S. intel. Energy hunts fuel clashes, with Vietnam drilling defiantly in disputed waters.
Trump's 'quad plus' pivots from Indo-Pacific to counter Houthi-Red Sea woes spilling eastward. Xi's navy, now 400 ships strong, patrols aggressively. Regional economies teeter: 40% of global trade at risk.
Trump-Xi summit may yield truces, but experts warn of miscalculation. Next flashpoint? A Taiwan Strait transit or Malacca blockade simulation gone awry.
