Opinion | US-China rivalry in South China Sea must not turn into a great power game

In the past four years, the South China Sea has been at the centre of the strategic competition between Beijing and Washington. The United States views China’s increasingly assertive actions in the South China Sea as the most pressing threat to the existential order in the Indo-Pacific region.

On one hand, in response to China’s territorial claims and military activities in the region, the US has been working closely with its allies and partners to contain and counter China’s efforts. On the other hand, the US has been enhancing its own deterrence, surveillance and combat readiness capabilities in the area.

A mutual increase in military activities leads to more uncertainty in the South China Sea. From the near collision of American and Chinese warships in 2018 to the duelling military exercises in 2020, the danger of an armed conflict between the two countries continues to rise.

Despite the significance and severity of the potential risks in the South China Sea, it should not be viewed as an individual hotspot but rather as an epicentre of the grand strategic competition between China and the US in the Indo-Pacific region. The complex competition focuses on several aspects.

First, Beijing and Washington are competing for the leading role in regional governance. The South China Sea code of conduct negotiation is seen by Washington as Beijing’s attempt to exclude the US from framing a regional order. Conversely, Beijing sees Washington as undermining the negotiation process by influencing countries to divide the negotiating parties over issues such as the 2016 South China Sea arbitration award.