Control of the sea by maritime commerce and naval supremacy means predominant influence in the world. The concept of sea power, a doctrine championed by the most important American Strategist of the 19th century Alfred Thayer Mahan, remains the core of United States maritime security agenda over 100 years and is the foundation of US policy on South China Sea claims, according to distinguished law professor and director of the Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea (IMLOS) at the University of the Philippines Dr. Jay L. Batongbacal

Mabasa, R. C. (2015, May 25). PH caught in a maritime battle for world power. Manila Bulletin, pp. 1, 15.