South China Sea tensions force US and Beijing to talk more

The two superpowers are talking more often to avoid conflict, the US ambassador to China tells the BBC.

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“Our militaries are operating in very close proximity to one another in the South China Sea and in the Taiwan Strait. You don’t want to send the wrong signal,” Nicholas Burns said in an interview in Beijing earlier this week.

The South China Sea has become a dangerous flashpoint, where Beijing’s claims are ratcheting up tensions with Taiwan and Philippines, as well as their most powerful ally, the US.

Chinese and Philippine vessels have been playing a dicey cat-and-mouse game in the contested waters in recent months - the latest altercation this week allegedly involved Chinese coastguard personnel boarding a Philippine boat and attacking soldiers with swords and knives.

The US, which has stitched together military alliances from Manila to Tokyo, has repeatedly vowed to defend its allies’ rights in the South China Sea.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cqvvxzv24pqo

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