The US and Singapore issued a joint statement on Tuesday, in which the latter granted Washington permission for regular short-term deployments of the P8 Poseidon spy plane to Singapore.

The US has gained new leverage in its rebalance to the Asia-Pacific strategy. Long before this, P8 Poseidon planes have flown over the South China Sea, mostly taking off from military bases in the Philippines and Japan. Now Singapore has become a new US base. It will be more advantageous for Washington's coverage of its anti-submarine surveillance in the South China Sea. The US military is sending a signal that it will have deeper involvement in this area, put more pressure on China, and sway the regional nations' evaluation of the situation in the future.

The stronger the Chinese military deployment in the South China Sea becomes, the more power Washington will throw in the region. This will probably become a trend, until the US can do nothing to counter China's growing military might.

Singapore has upgraded its balancing act between Beijing and Washington. The deployment of the P8 is clearly aimed at China, and Singapore is thus moving closer to the US in terms of security. Meanwhile, the Sino-Singaporean relationship has also developed in the past years.

In Singapore, enhancing military cooperation with the US oddly coincides with expanding economic collaboration with China. The country seems pretty confident in walking a tightrope between the two sides.

The South China Sea is the frontier to build the Chinese navy. Given certain disputed territories in the area, some mistakenly assume that China is developing its navy in order to "dominate" the sea. Washington is also glad to create and strengthen this impression. By increasing its deployment around the waters, encircling Chinese strategic bases in the area, the US appears to aim at the big picture.

It is understandable that Southeast Asian nations will seek a balance between China and the US. But they should be wary of being dragged into the strategic US game against Beijing, and become pawns of Washington. If a military confrontation emerges in the South China Sea, it will not be in anyone's interests.

With the enhancement of Chinese military power, the significance of US military deployment around the South China Sea is declining. Chinese people have already adapted to the pressure it piled on us.

The rise of China has brought us pressure, and the solution is to make the nation's development and power step up to a new level. During the process, we need to patiently explain to the world that the emergence of China and its military is a normal course of affairs. They will become a new resource of world peace, which will help build a new global public order and will be in line with the interests of all nations worldwide, but especially countries in the region.