Why the US is Picking a Fight with China in the South China Sea

Why is the US trying to turn ordinary, long-standing maritime disputes in the South China Sea into a regional or even international crisis?

I take a look at the US-led effort to bring China’s claims regarding the South China Sea to an international tribunal on the Philippines “behalf.”

I also explain the long-standing US strategy of encircling and containing China, and how this outdated plan sought to turn Southeast Asian states against China. It’s outdated because today, these nations all count China as their largest trade partner, major investor, and a partner in modernizing their military and building regional infrastructure.

References:

Reuters – China ‘drove away’ U.S. warship on tribunal ruling anniversary:
https://www.reuters.com/world/china/c…

Guardian – Beijing rejects tribunal’s ruling in South China Sea case:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/201…

Foley Hoag – Paul S. Reichler:
https://foleyhoag.com/people/reichler…

BBC – Jersey fishing: What’s the row between UK and France about?:
https://www.bbc.com/news/57001584

Carnegie Endowment for International Peace – What China Knows That We Don’t: The Case for a New Strategy of Containment:
https://carnegieendowment.org/1997/01…

Harvard University’s Atlas of Economic Complexity – The Philippines (1997):
https://atlas.cid.harvard.edu/explore…

Harvard University’s Atlas of Economic Complexity – The Philippines (2018):
https://atlas.cid.harvard.edu/explore…