ABSTRACT
Traditionally, the South China Sea (SCS) issue has not been on the negotiation table between the United States and China. However, the tensions between the United States and China over the SCS have gradually warmed up to a strategic level in recent years. This introductory chapter offers some background information on US–China competition in the SCS in recent years. We critically examine two conventional views, “Chinese assertiveness” and “US fault”, regarding the rising tensions in the SCS between the two nations in recent years. We argue that both conventional views are problematic in explaining Sino-US dynamics in the SCS. We also briefly introduce the structure of this edited volume and the major arguments from each chapter as well as some key findings of this project.
