Tory MP and Chair of the House of Commons Defence Select Committee, Tobias Ellwood reflected on China's aggression and what it could lead to. During an interview with Express.co.uk, Mr Ellwood suggested that China does not actually want a military war, in the traditional sense. He did argue that there could be a conflict of ideology between China and the West in the future, however.

       "Regarding military aggression, my concern is that China is not wanting to go to war, to have a battle, to be fighting in the old sense of the conventional terms.

       "My concern is that we are going to see a clash of political ideology.

       "For example in the South China Sea, China is advancing its interests and it could then bump into Western interests.

       "This is as we ourselves start to wake up and become less risk-averse in standing up for what we believe in.

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       "Standing up for what we are willing to defend, for what we are willing to fight for."

       Ms Ellwood did not rule out a military conflict altogether, however.

       He said: "I think it is going to be a micro incident that could flare up into something else.

       "Flare up before people are able to grab the red emergency phone or back channels can step in and calm the situation down."

       Mr Ellwood also insisted the UK as well as other Western nations could economically impact China for its international aggression.

       He said: "The big Achilles heel I think that is worth stressing between China, as there is a potential cold war we are heading towards, is trade.

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       "Then the way we are going to do it is establishing a set of global trade and security rules for which the majority of the world's GDP must sign up to.

       "Then obliging, giving other nations that get caught in between a choice between which way they look.

       "At the moment we are not there yet, we don't have a counterweight to what China is doing.

       "There is an attitude towards China but no strategy."