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China claims the maximum of this strategic waterway and seeks to expel its neighbors such as the Philippines. Any fatal mistake can lead to war.
By Mike Ives
You may not notice the moment when Thomas Shoal from the air. The disputed atoll near the Philippines is slightly larger than Manhattan and sinks beneath the surface of the South China Sea at high tide.
But diplomats and military officers are paying close attention to clashes near the sandbar between Filipino and Chinese ships. The concern is that an incident could be fatal and cause the Philippines to reject its mutual defense treaty with the United States.
This may simply lead to a nightmare: a war between the United States and China.
In an earlier dramatic episode, Chinese coast guard ships clashed with Philippine Navy ships near the sandbar in June, footage released by the Philippine military showed. Some Chinese sailors carried knives and one Filipino sailor was wounded.
Here’s what’s in the South China Sea and why it matters:
The South China Sea is home to some of the world’s most productive fisheries, as well as shipping channels that generate around a third of global maritime trade. Studies suggest it could also include important deposits of oil and plant fuels.
The characteristics of the sea more often escaped “the management and awareness” of governments until the end of the nineteenth century, according to academic Gregory B. Poling in a recent book. But in the mid-20th century, Beijing claimed most of the sea with a vast U-shaped border.
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