A Comparative Study Of The South China Sea Policies Of The Obama Administration And The Trump Administration

The “Asia-Pacific rebalancing” strategy implemented by the Obama administration has changed the tradition of the US South China Sea policy.From the end of the Cold War to 2009,the United States basically showed a non-positional attitude toward the South China Sea dispute.2009 became a turning point.The Obama administration was deeply involved in the South China Sea issue and continued to exert influence on the sovereignty dispute in the South China Sea.During this period,the US South China Sea policy was mainly aimed at promoting the internationalization of the South China Sea issue,supporting allies,and balancing the impact of China’s strength growth on the Asian geopolitical pattern.However,although the Obama administration severely criticized China’s sovereignty claims in public opinion,it is relatively cautious in its actions and tries to maintain a balance between China and the United States in competition and cooperation.President Trump has a different policy preference than his predecessor.At the beginning of his presidency,he criticized the Obama administration’s South China Sea policy as too weak.Building the “India-Pacific System” and ensuring ocean hegemony becomes an important element of US regional policy.The Trump administration has normalized the “Freedom of Navigation(FONOP)”,strengthened military means,and exerted economic pressure on China.Even though the United States’ concerns about the South China Sea issue have weakened,the Trump administration’s South China Sea policy has not softened.The situation in the South China Sea has eased,but the differences between China and the United States have not diminished.The Trump administration has both inherited and abandoned the “Asia-Pacific rebalancing” strategy of the Obama era.Although the Trump administration’s South China Sea policy has not yet fully formed,the current characteristics are worth studying.The adjustment of the strategic focus,the personality characteristics of Trump and the changes in the strength of China and the United States will have a great impact on the Trump administration’s South China Sea policy formulation.By combing and comparing the South China Sea policies of the two US administrations,this paper seeks to discover the continuity and new changes of its South China Sea policy.