Should the USA actively support a rival or rivals on the mainland to force China to devote resources on land and divert them from the sea?

[Julie4]

[RavVid]

The time for that was when the communists and the kuomintang were fighting for control after WW2. The CCP is well in control now; too well I think for internal dissent to have a chance. That could change perhaps if China's economy keeps going south.

Russia should not be happy with China taking over an island party held by Russia. But Russia is such a client state now it hasn't dared say anything let alone do anything military. So not much joy there.

The US is best to degrade China by encouraging manufacture to go elsewhere. I think there is a reason why Biden is going to Vietnam and my guess is it is along your suggestion. Vietnam defeated China in 1979.

The US has also made agreements with India recently that could lead to a treaty and/or arms sales and India has capacity to displace China as the worlds factory.

I think those two countries are the best chance of rivals countering China.

[Avicenna]

The US would like India to be that rival, but in reality Russia is the best country, along with Vietnam (India is not too interested) to fill that role. Problem is, the CCP owns the Democrats, who have gone out of their way to make Russia an enemy.

[KostasKouvalis]

That's an incredible idea, but at the same time, I don't really wanna waste military resources on a territorial dispute between Asian countries.

Plus, China has too many allies on its borders. They would never allow it, and I don't want to antagonize that many countries.

[DJB72]

The obvious rival would have been Russia 30 years ago. Stupid not to while Gorbachev was in power or when Putin asked to join NATO after he dissolved the Warsaw Pact

[msc545]

No - the US should stop provoking China before this shit turns into a shooting war, and should find another way to placate it's defense contractors who already do not have to pay taxes which should be enough and apparently isn't.