The latest clashes between the coast guards of China and the Philippines at the start of the Asean Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on July 20 once again demonstrate an enduring geopolitical reality: the South China Sea is no longer merely a maritime dispute.It has become a structural feature of international politics.Consequently, relations between the United States and China will remain acute regardless of periodic diplomatic breakthroughs or high-level summits.The South China Sea occupies a unique place in the Indo-Pacific or Asia Pacific.More than one-third of global maritime trade passes through these waters, making them indispensable to the global economy.Rich fisheries, energy resources and vital sea lanes add further strategic importance.Yet the competition is no longer primarily about fish, oil or natural gas. It is fundamentally about strategic influence, military positioning, and the future regional order.For China, the South China Sea represents a core national interest tied to sovereignty, territorial integrity and maritime security.Beijing views many of the disputed features as integral to its historical claims and increasingly regards the surrounding waters as essential to its long-term national defence.China’s expanding naval capabilities, coast guard operations and island infrastructure reflect this strategic calculation.For the United States, the South China Sea represents an equally fundamental interest. Washington has consistently maintained that freedom of navigation, open commerce and respect for international law are indispensable to regional stability.Through its alliances with the Philippines, Japan and Australia, alongside growing security cooperation with Southeast Asian partners, the United States seeks to preserve a maritime order that prevents any single power from dominating these waters.These two strategic visions are difficult to reconcile because neither side believes it can compromise without weakening its long-term position.This explains why even relatively minor maritime incidents quickly become major diplomatic crises.
Encounters involving coast guard vessels, water cannons or close naval manoeuvres immediately trigger responses from Washington and Beijing.Such incidents are never viewed in isolation. Each becomes another indicator of the broader balance of power between two global competitors.The rivalry is therefore structu…
Summary from source