China has not shied away from gunboat diplomacy in the past, and the harassment of the USNS Impeccable, for example, shows that a growing Chinese naval presence in Asia is not a stabilizing force.

• 中国过去就从不回避使用炮舰外交的手段，最近骚扰美国无畏号测量船的例子也表明，中国海军在亚洲不会是一支保持地区稳定的武装。