The US Navy has warned that its warships would be "more assertive" in responding to violations of international law, particularly Beijing, which has expansionist ambitions in the South China Sea.
Pentagon has stressed that several countries, notably Russia and China, "are contesting the balance of power in key regions and seeking to undermine the existing world order", quoted Economic Times.
"Our globally deployed naval forces interact with Chinese and Russian warships and aircraft daily," the document said, noting their "growing aggressiveness" and calling China "the most pressing, long-term strategic threat."
The latest incident between the US and China naval forces took place in late August, when Beijing said it had driven an American warship from the disputed Paracel archipelago.
To counter China, the US has been sending ships to the region more frequently to carry out what it calls "freedom of navigation" operations.
To maintain strategic advantage the US Navy plans to modernize with smaller, more agile and even remotely piloted ships to counter the Chinese Navy whose battle force has more than tripled in size in only two decades.
The Pentagon document specified that the US Navy will also be more visible in the Pacific, where it will "detect and document our rivals' actions that violate international law, steal resources, and infringe upon the sovereignty of other nations."
