China and the United States
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China and the United States
International relation is an important topic in the word because it concerns people from various backgrounds in the society and it touches on their cultures as well. International relations come to being concerning the different national governments. This paper will discuss the topic of international relations concerning the South China Sea dispute between the US and China (Goldstein, Pevehouse, 2014, p. 2). The issue of the South China Sea is a long-standing dispute between China and other Asian countries. There are mainly two groups of islands that are being contested for by these countries. The first of the two is the Paracel islands that are disputed for by China, Taiwan and Vietnam. The second is the Spratly Islands that is disputed for by china and the other ASEAN country members such as Brunei, and Malaysia. China’s interest in these regions is specifically for territorial control and for control over the mineral resources that are found in the region. The US, on the other hand, has had its interests in the region specifically for their commercial purposes. The US’ interests in the islands have been mainly for keeping the commercial routes through the region to its trading partners open. Additionally, the US’ interest in the region has been for military purposes where it has been seen to try to exert its military superiority through the dispute (Goldstein, Pevehouse, 2014, p. 182).
These interests are at odds in various ways. To begin with, the US is seen as intervening in the issue and yet it has no claim over the region, i.e., it is not a party to the dispute. Secondly, the US over the past been trying to portray itself to the ASEAN member countries as trying to check on the tendency of China to hold individual negotiations with countries that are regarded as being weaker compared to it. This has been the case especially where the US has often tried to bring up the matter in major multilateral forums. Secondly, while the US’ claims over the island are for military reasons, the Chinese government’s interest, on the other hand, is mainly for territorial dominance purposes. The US claims over the islands are for having a route access to other nations that are business partners while China, on the other hand, claims to the island are for boundary expansion purposes. Furthermore, both countries have been seen to aim at promoting their own interests at the expense of the interests of the other nations (Goldstein, Pevehouse, 2014, p. 160).
Many factors have been identified as having an important role in lessening the likelihood of cases of military action between the countries with a claim over the South China Sea. One of these is regarding the willingness of the countries involved to come up with suitable solutions to these conflicts through the use of dialogue. According to the linear long term change theory, the likelihood of an occurrence of war in the world has greatly reduced due to the enhanced technology in the world and the international norms established (Goldstein, Pevehouse, 2014, p. 159). For instance, the ASEAN summit was conducted in 2012 with the main aim of mitigating the conflict. Although the summit did not come up with a common solution, the efforts of the countries involved have been identified through such multilateral forums that aim at solving the issue. It is through such meetings that various measures have been put forward for easing the tension that may exist between the countries. For instance, agreements such as the implementation of regional codes of conduct, excising self-restraint and respecting the international laws have been agreed upon as a counter measures for easing tension.
Dialogue is one of the steps that may be used for coming up with solutions to conflicts. On the other hand, the opposite of dialogue can be seen as war. Dialogue through the various summits played an important role towards easing the tension. The absence of dialogue through which common grounds were arrived at by the countries would then have increased the likelihood of war by the countries which would have bid to achieve their interests.
Another factor that lessens the likelihood of an occurrence of a military action in the region is concerning the US’ main interest in the region. It is in the interest of the US that the peace and stability and international order be maintained regarding the region. The main interest of the US to the region is commercial freedom of navigation in the region and maintenance of peace and stability (NewsComAu, 2015, par. 4). Maintenance of the balance of power in the region is, therefore, important for prevalence of peace in the region. China being a claimant to the region has over the past been strengthening its military power with a view to exerting its hold over the region. In response to this, the US has also strengthened its military presence in the region while also offering support to the other ASEAN countries that are regarded to be weaker regarding their military strength. The US presence in the region then plays an important role in regulating any military actions by China. A military confrontation between China and the US is also unlikely due to the fact that China does not restrict any navigation over the region by the US (Li & Yanzhuo, 2015, par. 3)
In any case that the US would have other interests to the region such as territorial claim or entirely military claims, then the likelihood of occurrence of military confrontations would have been increased. Furthermore, the US plays a regulatory role in the region through its interest for maintaining peace and calm in the region. Without its support for the ASEAN countries, then the possibility of China taking control over the region through the use of military force would have been very likely. This is the case especially given the fact that the other countries have weaker military forces compared to those of China.
Finally, agreements that have been made by some of the claimants to the region have also played an important role in reducing the likelihood of an occurrence of military confrontations. Some of these countries have come up with joint management of resources over the disputed area and this plays an important role in reducing the tension (Xu, 2015, par. 17). An example of this is between China and Vietnam, who have forged a corporation over common fishing zones in the region. The two countries have then defined their claims over the contentious regions and thus regulating their fishing practices over the region.
This factor works to reduce the chances of war through easing the tension that would otherwise have existed between the two countries. Joint management works to reduce the tension through giving both countries with the claim to the region the power to control over the region on a shared basis with the other country. Without joint ,management however, the possibility of the countries engaging in military warfare for taking full control over the contentious regions would have been very likely.

References
Goldstein, J., Pevehouse, J. (2014). International relations. New York, NY: HarperCollins College Publishers.
Li, X., & Yanzhuo, X. (2015). The US and China Won't See Military Conflict Over the South China Sea. The Diplomat. Retrieved 12 November 2015, from http://thediplomat.com/2015/06/the-us-and-china-wont-see-military-conflict-over-the-south-china-sea/
NewsComAu,. (2015). US Admiral blasts China’s ‘might makes right’ approach. Retrieved 12 November 2015, from http://www.news.com.au/technology/innovation/china-told-to-behave-in-the-south-china-sea-or-else/story-fnpjxnlk-1227559772157
Xu, B. (2015). South China Sea Tensions. Council on Foreign Relations. Retrieved 12 November 2015, from http://www.cfr.org/china/south-china-sea-tensions/p29790