In its refusal to acknowledge China's territorial rights to the artificial islands it has constructed in the South China Sea, the United States sent a destroyer from the 7th Fleet within 12 nautical miles of the islands in order to conduct a freedom of navigation operation (FONOP) in late October. This strategy of sending U.S. warships and aircraft to the area is intended to deter China from "militarizing" the South China Sea.

It is too soon to tell whether this will actually serve as a deterrent. Indeed, it is possible that China — which has so far responded to the operation with protests and warnings — will interpret these actions as a provocation by the U.S., and use them as a pretext for accelerating the "militarization" of the area through the establishment of an air defense identification zone (ADIZ) or other measures. Should this occur, the failed attempt at deterrence could actually trap the U.S. and China in a "security dilemma" in which both countries continue to build up their military preparedness.

Earlier, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, speaking at a plenary session of the Lower House, discussed the purpose of Japan's new security-related legislation in the following terms: "By letting the world know that the Japan-U.S. alliance will come into force should Japan come under threat, we improve our ability to pre-empt conflicts — that is, we strengthen our deterrent capabilities. This makes it all the more unlikely that Japan will come under attack." While he did not mention a specific country by name, it is abundantly clear that Abe was referring to China.