Conflicting territorial claims in the South China Sea (SCS) make it one of the most divisive regions in contemporary geopolitics. Disputes over both maritime boundaries and islands involve several countries and regularly raise tensions within the region. The sea holds enormous global economic significance; more than $3.3 trillion of trade passed through it in 2016. It also holds an abundance of natural resources, including vital fish stocks as well as vast oil and gas reserves (CFR 2018). Seeking to expand its influence in the region, China has asserted its position and claim through the reclamation and militarization of islands, provoking U.S. and international attention. China claims to have administered the region “since ancient times”, claiming sovereignty over an area now marked out by what is commonly referred to as the “nine-dashed” or the “U-shaped” line. The line encompasses the majority of the sea and most of its terrestrial features, conflicting with claims made by Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam and Indonesia (Hayton 2016). As a signatories of the United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), China and other claimant countries are obligated to respect the delimitations of territorial sea in conjunction with laws protecting freedom of navigation through international waters (United Nations 1982). Despite this, China’s ongoing efforts to assert its sovereignty opposes this notion and continues to spark conflict in the region, drawing consistent media coverage and prompting the U.S. to conduct regular freedom of navigation operations (FONOPs) (Hutchens 2018).

In recent times, the conflict has further escalated into a crux in the power politics between the U.S. and China. With China growing more confident of its hand in the SCS, U.S. concerns have been heightened. Through bilateral diplomacy, China is attempting to sway old U.S. allies in the region, with the promise of economic reciprocity (Robles 2018). The increasing appeal of Chinese partnership erodes U.S. influence in the region and draws others to question the legitimacy of international law. China’s largely unchecked defiance and growing military capacity within the SCS reveal the broader implications of Chinese insurgency on a rules-based order. Comprehensive control of the SCS would demonstrate a seismic shift away from international norms and U.S.’s ability to enforce those norms, if it so chooses, bringing political consequences in the region and beyond. At present, the U.S. recognises China’s actions as a major threat to its strategic, political and economic interests, with former Secretary of Defence Jim Mattis describing great power competition as “the primary focus of U.S. national security” (Paquette 2018).

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