of the Obama era pivot to Asia policy and trying to establish some credibility it lost.

Back in the Obama era, the US encouraged the likes of Philippines to stand up and confront China while it stayed at a safe distance. When China did confront Philippines, all it would do was calling for restraint and it did absolutely nothing when the Chinese Navy took over the reefs and started to build the artifical island. That totally destroyed US credibilities.

THis time around no one is following the US, not Philippines and not even Vietnam. The only way for anyone even remotely considering to join the US is for the US acting alone and on its own to "confront" China and show some backbone (then maybe); otherwise, it might as well just give up or withdraw from Asia-Pacific. Ironically, the current over the top theatrics are precisely what is pushing would-be allies running for cover. Think about it: how would you like to be in the middle between 2 hostile powers with an unreliable US? and if the US bails on you, you would be alone in China's crosshair...

No...the US can NOT win a war against China and the best it can hope for is a draw and what is why it is assembling the coalition of the wiling to do the freedom of navigation through South China Sea. Such ineffective and useless tactics would never be considered in the 3rd Taiwan Strait Crisis in 1996. But that was then and now it does not have any other choice. For the Trump administration which has consistently shown contempt for alliance and coalition, it is a telling sign how weak a hand it has.