Please.
The buildup in the SCS is military... and that was the subject matter at hand.
Please check out my post at #43. China’s expansion has been financed by us thru our lopsided trade deals. Take away that advantage and you take away China’s ability to fund these structures that support their military expansion. So the answer is an economic, not military one, which I believe is preferable, as would Japan, Taiwan, and other actors in the region, one would assume.
“The buildup in the SCS is military... and that was the subject matter at hand.”
But that is not the key to “defeating” China!!! I know this is tough stuff to wrap your brain around but it is historically true. China has little power militarily compared to us...other than large numbers of soldiers. They are not a large military threat. They are a huge financial threat to the world...it is how they conquer.