U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT: China's move to base troops on a disputed island in the South China Sea has raised concerns about a possible military confrontation in an area where China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan, Brunei and the Philippines all have competing claims. China's insatiable appetite for world resources is driving much of the current strife. The economic interests could be enormous. Estimates vary wildly, but one Chinese study has put the potential oil reserves in the South China Sea at 213 billion barrels — roughly 80 percent of Saudi Arabia's known reserves. The natural gas reserves in the region are said to be five times those of the U.S. As China's Economic and military power is on the ascension on the world's stage, so is her ambitions. Chinese muscle flexing is going on in multiple territorial and resource disputes with multiple borders and countries. China is becoming a bully to all of her neighbors, while we watch this regional microcosm, we can only expect China to emulate this behavior as she exerts her power on the International world stage.
