In the South China Sea, where China is trying to secure its maritime sovereignty and rights, the U.S. believes China is challenging its regional hegemony and military dominance in the area. The USS Theodore Roosevelt crosses the South China Sea on Oct. 29, 2015. Believe it or not, the South China Sea is much more militarized than ever, since former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton criticized China in the ASEAN Regional Forum in 2009. However, with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe actively shaking off the limit of the pacifist constitution and advocating containing China, Obama's visit could send very wrong messages. What makes the situation more complicated is that Japan, as an outsider of the South China Sea issue, is trying to insert itself into the issue.

Source: Huffington Post May 25, 2016 15:52 UTC