The South China Sea may be about oil and natural gas and flows of trade. Yet, as the International Institute for Strategic Studies puts it, “maritime disputes in the South China Sea are at their heart about power politics.” From a strategic point of view, it is one of the most contentious issues between China and the United States. Chinese spokesmen frequently describe America as seeking to “contain” and “encircle” a “rising” China. For the United States, it is about freedom of seas and relations with the countries of Southeast Asia. Since World War II, the United States has been the guarantor
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