Abstract

Despite numerous calls for a more cooperative relationship, U.S.-China ties appear to be on an increasingly competitive trajectory. Nowhere has this seemed more apparent than in the South China Sea, where rising tensions have been sowing concern throughout Southeast Asia about the durability of order in the Asia-Pacific region.

A defining moment in deteriorating relations occurred at the July 2010 Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Hanoi, when Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced U.S. support for ensuring that territorial disputes were resolved amicably and fairly. “The United States,” Secretary Clinton explained, “has a national interest in freedom of navigation, open access to Asia’s maritime commons, and respect for international law in the South China Sea.” That prompted Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi to warn “outside powers” not to meddle, and then turn to Southeast Asian foreign ministers and declare: “China is a big country. And you are all small countries. And that is a fact.” U.S.-China relations have now become inseparable from the complex set of issues roiling the South China Sea. From the point of view of Asian-Pacific nations, even the smallest U.S. and Chinese actions are scrutinized as indications of revolve and future intent.