America Can’t Contain China, but Maybe Proliferation Can

The COVID-19 crisis accelerated the confrontation between the U.S. and People’s Republic of China. So far the challenge is more economic and political than military, though the U.S. Navy recently sent two aircraft carriers into the South China Sea in an attempt to intimidate Beijing. The PRC, however, hopes to develop anti‐​access/​area denial capabilities to prevent America from using such vessels in the future to coerce China in its own neighborhood.

Washington continues to possess the larger and more capable armed forces. But present doctrine, which presumes that America will...