War between the United States and China is no longer inconceivable, but is unlikely as conflict between them will result in their "destruction", Singapore's Ambassador-at-Large Tommy Koh opined in an op-ed on national broadsheet The Straits Times on Aug. 27.

China & the U.S. now dealing with each other as "approximate equals"

Koh said bilateral ties between both superpowers have evolved from one between "a rich, powerful country and a poor, weak country" to one between "two approximate equals".

And while they are not yet equal, both economically and militarily, China would "naturally be more assertive" and more reluctant to be subordinate to the U.S., the veteran diplomat added.

He continued to explain that the U.S. has a long list of complaints against China over several issues, including trade relations, accusations of technology theft, human rights in Xinjiang, Hong Kong, Taiwan and the South China Sea.

China, on the other hand, dismisses these criticisms as an attempt to deter their rise even further.

It is therefore hard not to conclude that both countries "are engaged in a geopolitical contest for influence in Asia and the world", he said.

South China Sea and Taiwan the two hot spots

Continuing on his assessment of the possibility of U.S.-China tensions developing into an armed conflict, Koh said the contest between them may become violent, and the two hot spots that could provoke an armed conflict are Taiwan and the South China Sea.

On Taiwan, Koh said the U.S. could get involved should China decide to take Taiwan by force, or if Taiwan were to pursue de jure independence and the U.S. were to support the move.

On the South China Sea, he said a potential clash in the area between both navies may escalate into an armed conflict.

While China has stood by its claims in the resource-rich South China Sea, saying they are consistent with international law, the U.S. has rejected its claims, and will continue to conduct its "freedom of navigation" operations to defend international law.

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen has recently voiced her concern over the risk of accidental conflict breaking out due to rising tension in the South China Sea and around Taiwan, Reuters reported.

She stressed the importance for all parties to "maintain open lines and communication to prevent misinterpretations or miscalculations.

War unlikely for it would be disastrous for both

But while war is not inconceivable between the two countries, it is unlikely for it would be catastrophic for them both, Koh said.

He further opined that the U.S. would never accept being second to another power, which is a view that is contrary to what his good friend and former diplomat Kishore Mahbubani thinks.

"Since the two countries possess nuclear weapons and have a second-strike capability, a nuclear war between them would lead to mutual assured destruction," he said.

"There would be no winners."

Therefore, he concluded that the future is "unpredictable".

You can read Koh's entire commentary here, which takes a closer look at the historical development of U.S.-China relations to explain how both countries arrived at their current state today.

U.S.-China relations has taken a sharp nosedive

In another op-ed written a year ago, Koh expressed similar views, saying that war between the two countries are no longer unthinkable.

But recent events have seen relations between China and the U.S. drop to a historic low.

To show that he is tough on China for the upcoming U.S. presidential election in November, U.S. President Donald Trump has racheted a series of punishments targeting China, escalating already fraught bilateral relations.

For instance, the U.S. has sought to ban Chinese video app TikTok and messaging app WeChat from the country, and placed sanctions on Chinese firms and executives over activities in the disputed South China Sea, as well as mainland Chinese and Hong Kong officials over the national security law that Beijing has imposed on the city.

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Top image via Institute of Policy Studies (IPS)/YouTube