China News: The South China Sea, a vital and strategic maritime region, has become a hotbed of geopolitical tensions involving territorial disputes among several .
China showcased on Thursday fighter jets firing missiles in the South China Sea, as it held rival military exercises with the United States in the hotly contested waters.
China's most recent dispute with the Philippines shows how Beijing frames smaller states as agents of US containment, write Greg Polling and Jude Blanchette (CSIS).
Heightened tensions are unfolding in the South China Sea, where territorial disputes have long simmered. The Philippines and China are now at the center of renewed concerns, as disagreements over submerged shoals grab global attention.