Without diplomacy, deterrence in Asia is a path to escalation

An opinion piece argues that the absence of diplomacy in Asia is leading to escalation, as states build habits and infrastructure of confrontation while claiming defensive postures. The Philippines frames its Balikatan exercises as sovereign defense modernization and 'minimum credible deterrence,' with an army spokesman stating the country is 'unfazed' by Beijing's warnings and has contingency plans for escalation. Japan embodies this shift most sharply. A historically freighted date made a Japanese naval transit inflammatory, with a PLA Daily commentary accusing Tokyo of 'harming the feelings of the Chinese people' and warning of 'new militarism.' Official Chinese channels circulated drone footage of the encounter. The piece concludes that diplomacy must return to the center of regional strategy before military signaling becomes the default language.