Why is the US going in hard in the South China Sea disputes?

The hard-line attitude adopted by the US in the South China Sea disputes is attracting attention. According to Reuters the US will press for a voluntary freeze on any actions aggravating territorial disputes in the South China Sea, in spite of Beijing's rejection of the idea.

The US position is making the Philippines confident of winning the South China Sea disputes. Philippine media stressed that the US would not tolerate the provocation of any country and believe that the US has warned China against acting recklessly on the South China Sea disputes by clarifying its stand.

The U.S. President Barack Obama in an interview with the Economist, says the United States will continue to accept China as a "full partner" in certain international norms. He also says that "simple appeals to international norms" are insufficient in Washington's bid to contain China, and there have to be tough mechanisms to deal with China if the United States thinks China is breaching these norms.

The diplomatic policy of Barak Obama has been criticized as "weak". Nonetheless, he has adopted a hard-line attitude in the South China Sea disputes. Why?

First, the South China Sea is a critical strategic point. It is an important line of maritime transportation, connecting Southeast Asia with the Pacific Ocean. It is natural that it should be of interest to the US.

Second, as the mid-term presidential elections in the US approach, Obama wants to show a hard-line attitude. He also wants to comfort US "friends" such as the Philippines.

However, the US will suffer from its efforts to rein China in.

According to Reuters, China and some Southeast Asian countries have given a chilly reception to the US proposals, a clear setback to Washington.

The US underestimates the win-win relationship between China and Asian countries. Both the construction of 21th Century Maritime Silk Road and the founding of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank indicate that China and Asian countries are bound by a common cause. China has cultivated a sense of trust and promoted partnerships with ASEAN. The China-ASEAN relationship contributes to the regional peace, stability and prosperity.

The US underestimates China's resolve to safeguard its sovereignty. "Currently the situation in the South China Sea is stable on the whole. There has not been any problem regarding navigation in the South China Sea," Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in August 9 2014.