Fu Ying, Columnist

What Are the U.S. and China Fighting Over?

Hint: It's not just about keeping shipping lanes open.

September 1, 2016 at 1:50 PM UTC

Fu Ying is the chief expert of the National Institute of International Strategy of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, an adjunct professor of the Tsinghua University and former vice minister of China.

One of China's installations in the Spratly archipelago.
Source: DigitalGlobe/ScapeWare3d/Getty Images

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As the leaders of China and the U.S. meet in Hangzhou ahead of this weekend's Group of 20 summit, many would like to know whether differences over the South China Sea will cloud the bilateral relationship. The question is, what exactly are the two nations competing over in the area? And more importantly, can they find a mutually acceptable way to move forward?

QuickTake Territorial Disputes