Maritime legal controversies in the South China Sea are not as bad as they are often characterized. However, divides are exacerbated by American unwillingness to accept international standards such as the UN Law of the Sea — and made worse by the Eurocentric bias of current international law, which has long ignored Asian cultures and traditions.

The “Free and Open Indo-Pacific” strategy is aimed at deterring Chinese coercion by deepening alliances and strategic partnerships. To this end, Japan has enhanced military cooperation with partners such as the United States and India to balance against Beijing’s more assertive foreign and security policy under Xi Jinping.

Top generals from China and the U.S. say they're ready to work out an effective mechanism to prevent confrontation and maintain stability in the South China Sea.

A U.S. navy warship sailed close to a disputed reef in the South China Sea on Tuesday, a U.S. Department of Defense official said, days after China warned criticism of its claim would rebound like a coiled spring.

China accused the US on Monday of "hyping up" recent military flights around a Chinese island in the South China Sea.

The U.S. military conducted "freedom of navigation" operations against 13 countries last year, including several in dispute of China's claims in the South and East China seas, according to an annual Pentagon report released on Monday.