China Coast Guard via Weibo/Handout via REUTERS
- China has been escalating tensions with the Philippines in the South China Sea for months.
- Its intention is to test how far the US would support the Philippines, one military analyst told CNN.
- Collin Koh said between wars and the US elections, the US won't let itself be dragged into a conflict.
China is escalating tensions in the South China Sea to test how far the US supports one of its allies in the region, according to a military expert.