It's easier for China to assert its maritime power by creating artificial islands in the South China Sea than by defying the U.S. Pacific Fleet with an aircraft carrier.

U.S. adversaries exploit power gaps. It's easier for Russia to invade Ukraine with irregular forces out of uniform, the so-called 'little green men,' than to send a conventional army that would challenge NATO.

We have a fleet of aircraft that all have customers. Every single aircraft has a contract.

With this idea, being a man with long experience of the sea (and they certainly have a great advantage over other men in any sort of task)...

[T]hen all collapsed, and the great shroud of the sea rolled on as it rolled five thousand years ago.

Chinese experts noted that the U.S. economy has rebounded from the 2008 crash more strongly than some analysts here had expected, while China's own growth is slowing after several decades of rocket-ship acceleration.