US-China rivalry: will America's new 'floating base' heighten tensions? | South China Morning Post

The commissioning of a United States "floating naval base" will extend the military competition between the US and China into areas where China controls ports, according to defence experts. However, as the base is vulnerable to attack, it will primarily be used in low-intensity conflict and non-war missions, they said. The assessment came after the USS Miguel Keith, a US$525 million, 785-foot expeditionary mobile base, was commissioned into active service with the US Navy on May 8. Its first destination will be Saipan in the US commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Pentagon said. The vessel, which can carry…