Scholar: U.S. Should Tread Carefully in SCS

People's Daily: U.S. misjudgment on South China Sea will be costly

Zheng, a well-known scholar on China studies, said that China, unlike the United States, "does not have a missionary culture or missionary diplomatic policies."

While heavy U.S. presence in the region is regarded by some in China as a threat, China does not have its own version of the Monroe Doctrine to drive U.S. influence out of the region, he said.

U.S. concerns about the freedom of navigation are not justified, either. China wants to safeguard peace and stability in the South China Sea more than any others as it depends heavily on the important sea routes there.
Generally, China and the United States do not have direct geopolitical conflict in the South China Sea, Zheng said.

"A misjudged strategy will be costly to America," he said.

China has said it welcomes the United States to play a positive role in regional peace and stability, like contributing to maritime security.