South China Sea with growing military prowess in an effort to gain a stronghold over global trade.Beijing has historically had a smaller army than its geopolitical rivals - but that's rapidly changing.Here's how the country is waging a soft war against dozens of its global competitors to rule the seas.
But first, what is China fighting for?The South China Sea is a small part of the Western Pacific bordering southern China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Thailand, Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei.Yet what makes it so contested is its unrivalled strategic importance.Asia's most sought-after seaway is the route through which 40% of the world's natural gas trade passes, some $3.5 trillion in general trade value flows each year, and where.
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