Opinion | On South China Sea, expect more of the same from US President Joe Biden

The incoming US president may be more multilateralist than his predecessor, but he remains tied to positions he adopted when last in high office

Biden also inherits Donald Trump’s legacy of confrontation in the South China Sea and is likely to keep sending warships to the disputed waterway

Reading Time:3 minutes

Published: 5:00am, 8 Dec 2020Updated: 6:23am, 8 Dec 2020

When Chinese President Xi Jinping finally congratulated incoming US leader Joe Biden last month, he made clear that security concerns were uppermost in his mind. “We hope both countries uphold the spirit of non-conflict, non-confrontation, mutual respect and win-win cooperation,” was how he began his statement.

Xi’s words were not surprising, given the challenges facing US-China relations even under a new Biden administration.

Ties between Beijing and Washington have deteriorated over issues ranging from trade, to technology to the origins of the coronavirus – and while the US is not a claimant state in the South China Sea, its policy on the disputed waterway has also altered.

Washington views the South China Sea issue as subsumed by the US’ larger quarrel with China. Beijing, for its part, maintains that its maritime claims are grounded in international law – fuelling tensions with other Southeast Asian claimant states and the US.

The ongoing dispute has shaped perceptions of China and even resulted in claimant states and some Western countries insisting on negative assumptions about Beijing’s intentions and purposes.

Chinese sailors stand in formation on the deck of a guided missile frigate as it docks in Manila for a four-day port call. Photo: AP

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