Great Powers, Grand Strategies

China Flexes Its Maritime Muscle

Fully seven countries stake some claim to the South China Sea: a maritime prize that could hide lucrative supplies of oil. China, Taiwan, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia all assert rights under international law. Their ardor for this stretch of water reflects both its symbolic significance and its actual importance. Goods worth $5 trillion travel through the South China Sea every year, underscoring its value to the world economy. The dispute over the South China Sea has far reaching repercussions. The competing claimants might couch their arguments in the language of maritime law, but make no mistake: The South China Sea is all about power.  

China, in particular, has staked its claim in the South China Sea in dramatic fashion. In 2015, the government told the world it had finished building seven artificial atolls in the Spratly archipelago. China transformed coral reefs into military installations with deep-water harbors and 3,000-meter runways extensive enough to accommodate any aircraft in China’s fleet. China has asserted control over the South China Sea for...