High stakes on the high seas as US, China test limits of military power

USS Higgins conducted a freedom-of-navigation operation near Scarborough Shoal as China's navy grows to 370 ships, challenging U.S. naval dominance in the Indo-Pacific.

In the heart of the Indo-Pacific, the encounter was a revealing snapshot of the new front line in global naval power — controlling sea lanes, projecting force and leveraging alliances.

"There is no clear winning position," said Brent Sadler, a retired Navy submariner and senior fellow for naval warfare at the Heritage Foundation. "The way we fight is very different — you can’t just look at the number of ships or munitions and say one side is better. That’s not how naval warfare works."