What’s Behind the Rising Tensions in the South China Sea: Antonio Graceffo

The South China Sea has been hotly contested for centuries. Many countries have laid claim to certain areas of the sea—but tensions have grown in recent years. Those tensions have been pushed closer to boiling point because China has made sweeping claims over the sea, and these claims have angered countries like the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam—who also have legitimate, historic claims to large portions of the sea.
The stand-off came to a head this week after the Philippines coast guard removed a floating barrier installed on a contested reef by China. China had installed the barriers in order to block Philippine fishing boats from entering the area.

Here to talk to us about what’s happening is Antonio Graceffo, a China economic analyst and the author of “Beyond the Belt and Road: China’s Global Economic Expansion.”