China, U.S. Vie for Supporters Before South China Sea Ruling
- U.S. naval operation latest in flurry of pre-ruling posturing
- Duterte’s election is wild card for dispute resolution
Fiery Cross Reef in the South China Sea.
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China and the U.S. are pulling out all the stops before a court ruling on China’s territorial claim to a large part of the South China Sea, with a flurry of diplomatic and military activity across Southeast Asia in recent weeks.
The stakes are high. While the international tribunal’s decision on the case brought against China by the Philippines isn’t enforceable, it could create momentum either for or against Beijing, which has been busy reclaiming land in a waterway that hosts more than $5 trillion of trade a year.