China and Philippines Vie for Control of South China Sea

The conflict between China and the Philippines over the Spratly Islands continues to fester. China has decried what it sees as Philippine expansion in the South China Sea. At the same time, the Philippines pointed its finger at China and leveled the same charge against China. The Spratlys are claimed in whole, or part, by many other nations in the area as well. Despite the fact that China clearly dwarfs the Philippines militarily, the Philippines is the only country in South East Asia that can stand up to China. While there are valuable natural resources in the Spratlys, the more important issue is control of the South China Sea itself.