U.S. Expects Tensions To Rise In The South China Sea

China’s claims to most of the South China Sea region is raising tensions and skirmishes at sea are already taking place. VOA map

U.S. Sees Ongoing Tensions Over South China Sea -- Voice of America

Rival claims to the South China Sea by China, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam, Brunei, and the Philippines “are going to go through a period of higher tensions, no matter what,” according to senior State Department official traveling in Asia with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

“The countries of ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) have to get used to periods of intensity and focus,” the U.S. official told reporters. “We are not going to be able to go back to situations in which things were easy, and that decisions were made without certain amounts of strain. I think this is the new normal.”

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My Comment: The South China Sea is not the only region in dispute. Japan is maneuvering to protect their interests, and countries like Taiwan are disputing these claims.