International relations experts warn of mounting tensions between China and the United States, saying that military confrontations are likely to happen, The Independent reported.
It's only been days since Trump finally sat in the oval office, but he has already drawn the ire of China.
Before his inauguration, Trump questioned the One China policy and conversed with the Taiwanese president on the phone. In another incendiary statement, Trump accused China of financially "raping" the United States and promised to impose a 45 percent tariff on imports.
Trump further inflamed China-U.S. relations when he accused China's military of stealing an underwater research vessel assigned in the South China Sea.
In an official statement, China disproved the accusations. According to Beijing, the underwater research vessel was removed from the area to help passing ships navigate the seas safely. Due to the controversy of its capture, the research vessel was eventually returned.
Although a full-blown conflict between China and the U.S. is unlikely, a senior Chinese military official has been quoted to say that claiming war is a "practical reality," a statement published in the People's Liberation Army's official website.
For Kerry Brown, an associate fellow in Chatham House's Asia programme, clashes between Chinese and American military forces at sea will only make the situation worse and won't benefit either parties.
"It's a no-win situation. Only through the act of the most amazing stupidity and provocation would conflict happen," Brown said in an interview with The Independent.
"But Mr. Trump and his team have shown they are willing to do very high-risk things. It is significantly more probable that there would be a misunderstanding than it has been for many, many years. It is still improbable but significantly more likely."
In response to Trump's chaotic approach, China has taken a more cautious stance until the American president has completed his cabinet.
"At the moment China has taken a 'wait and see' approach to Mr. Trump to see who the rest of his team will be," said Veerle Nouwens, a research analyst for Asia studies at the Royal United Services Institute.