willingness to confront China in sovereignty disputes a nd other issues. This risks deterioration in U.S.-China relations and potential destabilization of the regional order . China and the United States and its allies will need creative policymaking to balance these competing concerns and ensuring lasting peace and stability in the region. China perceives the Pivot as a US containment strategy. Chadha ‘14 (Col Vivek Chadha (Retd) is a Research Fellow at Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses -- ASIAN STRATEGIC REVIEW: US Pivot and Asian Security – a book edited by S.D. Muni, Vivek Chadha – From Chapter Three: “Military Implications of the

US Rebalancing Strategy” – by Vivek Chadha – ? sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&ved=0CCUQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fidsa.in%2Fsystem%2Ffiles %2Fbook_ASR2013.pdf&ei=AY-XU8rjNuaO8gG3g4CQBg&usg=AFQjCNG_ooiEIMhuGCnMzg7oy_t67sZTgQ) While there has been a reluctance to make direct references to each other by the US and China , however, mutual discomfort between them remains clear ly evident. The China White Paper of 2013 makes a n indirect reference to US attempts to contain China. It says: “Some country has strengthened its Asia - Pacific military alliances , expanding its military presence in the region, and frequently makes the situation there tenser ...Major powers are vigorously developing new and more sophisticated military technologies so as to ensure that they can maintain strategic superiorities in international competition in such areas as outer space and cyber space.”26 Therefore, the China factor was and remains a key determinant of the US strategy in a bid to safeguard its interests in the region , given that China has both the potential and reason to challenge the status quo maintained under the US security umbrella. China perceives renewed commitment to the Pivot as military containment. Mishra ‘14 Dr Rahul Mishra is a Research Fellow at Indian Council of World Affairs, New Delhi. He specialises on political, economic, foreign policy and security aspects of countries and regional groupings of Southeast Asia. ASIAN STRATEGIC REVIEW: US Pivot and Asian Security – a book edited by S.D. Muni, Vivek Chadha – From Chapter Ten: “The US Rebalancing Strategy: Responses from Southeast Asia” ? sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&ved=0CCUQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fidsa.in%2Fsystem%2Ffiles %2Fbook_ASR2013.pdf&ei=AY-XU8rjNuaO8gG3g4CQBg&usg=AFQjCNG_ooiEIMhuGCnMzg7oy_t67sZTgQ Not surprisingly, China has been sceptical of renewed interest and intensified activism of the US in this part of the world . From the time of release of the first comprehensive statement regarding the US Pivot or Rebalancing towards Asia till date, reactions from Chinese leaders and the media have l argely been negative .8 As Amitav Acharya opines, “ China has viewed these initiatives with much suspicion and regards them as detrimental to its interests.