US strategy to secure China's position in the South China Sea

Document Type : Original Article

Author

PhD in International Relations, Department of International Relations, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran

10.22099/ijas.2026.55354.1054

Abstract

Introduction
As the most prominent and assertive claimant in the South China Sea, China has adopted an increasingly powerful and expansive approach to this maritime space. For years, Beijing has conducted patrols and military manoeuvres in disputed waters, and these activities have grown markedly. China has also engaged in extensive land reclamation, constructed military infrastructure, and increased patrols in contested areas. These developments have intensified tensions with other claimant states and attracted international criticism. Regional and international actors are concerned that an armed confrontation in the South China Sea could disrupt trade. For the United States, as a major actor in the region, the principal interests are connected to freedom of navigation and the expansion of American influence. Washington presents China as one of the main threats to global maritime security. It has therefore sought to counter Beijing’s growing ambitions by deepening cooperation with its East Asian allies and participating in regular military exercises in the region.
 
Methods
This article uses a descriptive-analytical method. The data and information required for the study have been collected through library-based research and internet sources. On this basis, the study examines the United States’ strategy towards China’s position in the South China Sea and analyses how Washington has securitised China’s maritime behaviour and regional ambitions.
 
Findings
China has built military bases on artificial islands in order to support its wider developmental and strategic ambitions. The expansion of China’s defence and military capabilities, together with the militarisation of the South China Sea and Beijing’s firm territorial claims, has intensified its confrontation with the United States and with some regional states. China is strengthening its military capabilities in ways that can limit American access to the Western Pacific. The possibility that China seeks to control the entire South China Sea is therefore understood as a decisive step towards regional dominance and as a development that could threaten the existing global order. Some Chinese scholars acknowledge that one of the important objectives of the United States’ pivot, or rebalancing strategy, was not simply to use the South China Sea disputes to preserve freedom of navigation or norms of conflict resolution. Rather, this strategy was also connected to the broader aim of containing China’s international rise. The South China Sea disputes, often described as the “mother of all territorial disputes”, are among the most important issues in the recent international relations of the Asia-Pacific region. Because of the multiplicity of interests involved and the geopolitical importance of the sea, these disputes have become a principal point of disagreement between China and the United States. They may also become a key element in future Sino-American relations.
With its rapid economic growth, China has become a major regional power in Asia, and its influence is gradually extending to other parts of the world. This development has contributed to the expansion of tensions between the United States and China. Like many states, China has territorial disputes with a number of its fourteen neighbouring countries. Yet the South China Sea, together with the disputes in the East China Sea, has attracted particular attention. The United States interprets China’s actions in this maritime domain as aggressive and expansionist, while China regards its claims and activities as part of its sovereign rights and strategic requirements. This divergence enables Washington to frame China’s position in the South China Sea as a security threat. The securitisation of China’s role allows the United States to justify an expanded military presence in the Pacific, closer defence relations with regional allies, and regular participation in military exercises. In this sense, the South China Sea is not only a site of territorial disagreement, but also a strategic arena in which the balance of power, freedom of navigation, alliance politics, and regional order are contested. The American approach is therefore based on representing China as a growing threat whose maritime ambitions must be balanced through military preparedness, regional partnerships, and strategic pressure.




Volume 3, Issue 1, Spring 2026
 




 
 
Conclusions
The United States and China, as two ambitious powers, regard Southeast Asia as a key arena for expanding their influence and pursuing their multifaceted interests. China’s extensive land reclamation, construction of military infrastructure, and patrols in disputed areas have generated tensions with other claimant states and drawn international criticism. In this context, China’s assertive and expansionist actions in the South China Sea are considered by the United States and by China’s neighbours to be a strategic threat. Accordingly, the United States has strengthened its military forces and equipment in the Pacific in recent years by constructing China as a threat. Through this strategy, Washington seeks to increase its presence, reinforce its relations with regional allies, and prepare itself to confront the consequences of Beijing’s development and growing military power in East Asia.

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References

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History

  • Receive Date: 28 December 2025
  • Revise Date: 18 February 2026
  • Accept Date: 08 February 2026
  • First Publish Date: 22 May 2026
  • Publish Date: 22 May 2026

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