The South China Sea is one of the most contested regions in the world, with the sovereignty of China's strategically and economically valuable artificial islands being of paramount national importance.

In contrast to China's stance, various academics and international experts allude to the legal issue represented by the international dispute in the South China Sea. This involves geopolitics, geo-economics, and geo-military concerns among the region's countries, with a focus on the roles of the United States and China.

Legally, the dispute over the right to acquire territory over the archipelagos and islands in the South China Sea among the surrounding countries is highlighted, including the interpretation and application of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). This convention determined the limits of maritime zones, continental shelves of coastal states, archipelagic states, and geographical features in the South China Sea in accordance with UNCLOS 1982.

China claims 90 percent of the South China Sea for itself. Moreover, in 2010, Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi declared the sea as a core interest for China, elevating its possession to the highest level of national priority and limiting the possibility of negotiations. Yang Jiechi, during a high-level meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2010, summarized Beijing's attitude towards the maritime space with the following words: "China is a big country and other countries are small countries, and that's just a fact." This mirrors the scenario depicted in Thucydides' Melian Dialogue, where larger countries do as they please while smaller ones must accept their fate.

To counter China's assertiveness, the United States positions itself as a defender of the existing legal order, despite never having ratified the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. By doing so, it challenges China's control over the theater of operations, demonstrated by geographic proximity, the construction and militarization of numerous artificial islands, and the presence of China's extensive navy – the world's largest – in the area.

The strategic competition between the U.S. and China is considered the main cause for the South China Sea's volatile situation, making it a hot spot in the Asia-Pacific region and the world. Both China and the U.S. vie for control over the South China Sea.

The geopolitical, geo-economic, and geostrategic competition between the U.S. and its ally China will continue to impact the situation in the South China Sea. This not only affects the defense of the sea, the legitimate rights, and interests of the countries surrounding it, but also harms the rights and interests of countries outside the region in accordance with UNCLOS 1982. Therefore, the situation remains tense and unstable, with the U.S.-China relationship escalating on a larger scale, further complicating matters.

Historically, China has considered its relationship with the United States. In 1972, during President Nixon's visit, they signed the Shanghai Communiqué.

Going back to 1974, China sent troops to invade the western group of the Paracel Islands, which were controlled at the time by the army of the Republic of Vietnam, a subordinate ally of the United States.

The Philippines strongly opposed China's use of military force to invade Scarborough Shoal within their exclusive economic zone in 2012. Faced with Philippine resistance, China turned to the United States as an "arbiter," requesting Washington to pressure Manila to withdraw. Manila hoped that Washington could intervene militarily under the Defense Treaty they had signed in 1951.

Philippine President Benigno Aquino III visited Washington in June 2012, sending a signal of unity in their alliance. However, the United States maintained a "strategic ambiguity" over the treaty's meaning when a conflict erupted in the South China Sea.

The situation will continue to worsen due to the confrontation between the U.S. and China, while the world faces significant challenges from the impact of pandemics, wars, epidemics, and natural disasters.