The South China Sea is one of the most infamous territorial conflicts in the world, involving six governments (China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines & Taiwan), as well as plenty of external actors (United States, India, Japan, Australia, etc.). Focus point of the dispute are the many tiny islands, reefs and rocks which are scattered across the South China Sea, including the Spratlys, Paracels, Pratas & more. These islands are the key to controlling this vital region defined by strategically important trading routes, natural resources like oil and gas, as well as the geopolitical rivalry between the USA and China.

In this video we explore what is behind the South China Sea dispute and find answers to the following questions: Why is it important and valuable to all these nations? Who is involved and why? And what does this conflict mean for the future of regional and global peace?
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Music:

Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 (by Liszt) (YouTube Audio-library)
Fur Elise (by Beethoven) (YouTube Audio-library)

Opium (by Kevin MacLeod) (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b...

Sao Meo (by Doug Maxwell/ Zac Zinger) (YouTube Audio-library)

Cambodian Odyssey (by Kevin MacLeod) (incompetech.com)
Licensed under a Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licence. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-...
Artist: http://incompetech.com/

The Star Spangled Banner - Band Only (by The U.S Army Band) (YouTube Audio-library)
Morning Mood (by Grieg) (YouTube Audio-library)
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Timestamps:

0:00​ Introduction
1:17 Value of the South China Sea
4:15 The claimants
7:48 Other actors
12:14 Chinese-American rivalry
18:09 Outro
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Sources:

Robert D. Kaplan (2014) Asia's Cauldron: The South China Sea and the End of a Stable Pacific.

Bill Hayton (2015) The South China Sea: The Struggle for Power in Asia.

Ren H. & Lui F. (2013) Transitional Security Patterns in the South China Sea and the Involvement of External Parties. In: Issues & Studies 49:2.

John J. Mearsheimer (2001) The Tragedy of Great Power Politics

U.S.-China Strategic Competition in South and East China Seas: Background and Issues for Congress. Online: https://sgp.fas.org/crs/row/R42784.pdf
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#southchinasea #china #geopolitics