Sand Pebbles: Why are Superpowers Squabbling over Rocks?

Apr 2, 2015 | Keith Johnson
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China’s aggressive behavior in the South China Sea is alarming the Navy and prompting calls for a more vigorous U.S. response. Over the past year, Beijing has significantly raised the temperature in the South China Sea with a series of provocative actions that have unsettled nearby neighbors and furrowed brows in Washington. At question is just how the U.S. should respond to a frontal challenge that directly affects the Obama administration’s pivot to Asia without risking escalation or upending the need for broader cooperation between the world’s two great superpowers.