WASHINGTON — Americans often assume that Chinese military aggression is increasing the likelihood of a clash between China and the United States. But many policy makers in Washington ignore that Beijing has good reason to be troubled by the United States’ military footprint in its neighborhood. President Obama’s “pivot” to Asia — which includes doubling down on Washington’s already-robust military presence in the region — further stokes the potential for conflict between China and the United States.

If the United States wants to avoid strife in Asia, it should resist antagonizing China by encircling it with ever more military partners and bases.

True, China is bolstering its armed forces. Its military budget has risen 7.6 percent this year and grew at an average of 9.5 percent from 2005 to 2014 (it slowed this year along with China’s economy). China is turning reefs in contested waters into islands dotted with airstrips and radar towers. This year, China has flown its jets close to Japanese and American planes over the East China Sea; in recent years Chinese boats have rammed and sunk Vietnamese vessels in the South China Sea. Still, the United States, with a military budget three times as large as China’s, pours far more resources into the Pacific region than Beijing.

Washington agreed recently to deploy missile-defense systems in South Korea, a response to North Korea’s nuclear program but also a provocation to Beijing. The United States will deploy 2,500 Marines to Darwin, Australia, and rotate troops through five military bases in the Philippines, despite President Rodrigo Duterte’s anti-American rants.