South China Sea to top China-US talks agenda

Since the end of last year, the increasing involvement of more outside players has made the game of chess being played over the South China Sea issue more complicated before the upcoming China-US Strategic and Economic Dialogue.

China has become a besieged target of "legal" and "construction" battles. Vietnam and the Philippines launched legal attacks on China's nine-dash line at the end of last year. Now they have opened a new battlefront, accusing China of "illegally" carrying out construction on islands and reefs in the South China Sea.

These two countries and the United States have three main criticisms: First, the Philippines and Vietnam carried out construction only on existing islands and reefs while China is reclaiming land in violation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea. Second, China's construction activities are affecting the water quality and coral reefs, and thus have an adverse impact on the marine resources of neighboring countries. Third, China is out to seize the strategic central zone in the South China Sea to establish air and maritime supremacy in the region, which, if not effectively contained, will intensify.