The United States is considering intensified naval patrols in the South China Sea in a bid to challenge China’s growing militarisation of the waterway, actions that could further raise the stakes in one of the world’s most volatile areas. U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis blasted Beijing on Saturday for the militarization of artificial features in the South China Sea, warning the Asian giant of potential penalties ahead. Even as China is disinvited from the Rim of Pacific joint exercises and called out for its behavior, military-to-military ties between Washington and Beijing remain both broad and deep, suggesting that conflict may not be inevitable. But make no mistake: rough seas lie ahead for the relationship, writes Ankit Panda for South China Morning Post.