The fact that China did not move to challenge the US-flagged guided-missile destroyer was a relief for those who aren't keen on living through World War III and as hyperbolic as that might sound, it was just this month that Beijing threatened to "stand up and use force" in the event Washington went through with the "freedom of navigation" exercise. 

Of course as we outlined previously, the PLA will get plenty of other opportunities, as most security "experts" believe that in order to be "effective" (whatever that means in this context), the US will need to keep up the patrols suggesting the world could be in for a prolonged period of heightened tensions that threaten to spiral out of control on any given "pass-by." 

For anyone unfamiliar, all of this comes courtesy of Beijing's land reclamation efforts in the South China Sea which have by now led to the creation of more than 3,000 acres of new sovereign territory on which China has constructed runways, cement factories, and all manner of other facilities. This has led Washington's regional allies to cry foul and now, Big Brother is essentially just sailing around the islands to see if China will shoot.