US-China rivalry in the South China Sea

Abstract

The South China Sea issue has become one of the important areas of contention between the United States and China contemporarily. However, it was not until the post-Cold War era, particularly since the 2010s that Washington has significantly shown its interest in the disputes. The US not only began actively involved in the issues but also attempted to play a more interventionist role in the disputes, particularly in terms of challenging China’s claims and behaviour. On the other hand, Beijing perceives Washington to be using the South China Sea issue as part of its containment strategy against China. In turn, the Sino-US rivalry has become a regional geopolitical backdrop that now significantly shapes the dynamics of the disputes and security in the South China Sea. In this chapter, we address the following themes: China and the United States interaction in the South China Sea in the historical context, major sources of rivalry between the two countries in the contemporary era, prominent policy tools the two powers employ for the pursuit of their respective strategic interests, and finally, important implications for the South China Sea disputes from the perspective of Sino-US strategic rivalry.