There can be little doubt that, like Taiwan, the South China Sea has the potential to become a wild card in Washington's strategic game with Beijing.

And there certainly exists the worst-case probability of a destructive showdown between China and the United States, should the provocative "access denial" approach advocated by new US President Donald Trump's pick for secretary of state Rex Tillerson be embraced as US policy.

So it is only natural that, amid the lingering anxieties produced by Tillerson's remarks, White House spokesman Sean Spicer's vow on Tuesday to "protect" US interests and "defend international territories" has been interpreted by some as signaling an increased possibility of confrontation.