Chinese military strategists say China needs to control the sea to defend itself, to push the United States out of the Western Pacific and to become a naval power. China also depends on the shipping routes that go through the sea, and is eager to lay claim to oil and other resources to fuel its voracious economy. There are domestic political factors, too. Chinese schoolchildren are taught that the sea has belonged to China since ancient times, and President Xi Jinpinghas used the construction of artificial islands in the sea to fan nationalist sentiment and strengthen his authority over the Chinese military. Read more
