A U.S. plan to steer Coast Guard vessels toward waters frequented by Chinese vessels will bulk up Washington’s resolve to contain Beijing’s maritime expansion without inviting a hot conflict, analysts believe. Increased U.S. Coast Guard activity will show China that the United States resolves to check Chinese activity in general without risking conflict the way that American naval ships would, experts believe. Coast guard vessels are seen widely as defensive while navy ships are fitted to launch attacks. “It looks tamer [than the navy] but it also signals resolve to confront China,” said Dr Alan Chong, Associate Professor at RSIS. The coast guard, he said, “is a way of signaling presence without running the risk of triggering a shooting incident between outright navies.”