The US and China need not conflict at all.  The South China Sea matter is a regional matter.  It is not a US matter.  So China achieves dominance in the region, who cares?  Only those who profit from war and confrontation see the need for American military power to be asserted in the region.  Mr. Will does not like Trump.  The framing of China as an adversary and assumption that Trump cannot handle an adversary are rather transparent contrivances.