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China’s Maritime Dispute With the Philippines is Primarily a Problem With the U.S., Says Professor

by Eric Olander
HEADLINE TRANSLATION: Wu Shicun: The United States is the biggest driver of the increased [tension] in the South China Sea

The surge in maritime tensions between the Philippines and China that began in February is largely due to the United States instigating its ally in Manila, according to Wu Shicun, director of the South China Sea Research Center at Xiamen University.

Wu contends the U.S. is pushing the Philippines to change the status quo in the South China Sea through frequent confrontations over territorial claims that the Chinese government rejects outright.

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