China’s efforts to stake its claim to most of the South China Sea should spark fear around the world, with military conflict possible, President Aquino told AFP yesterday. In an exclusive interview, Aquino also warned that China’s increasingly assertive actions raised the specter of other nations having access cut to international shipping lanes and fishing grounds in the sea. China claims sovereignty over most of the South China Sea, including areas just off the coasts of other Asian nations, using an assertive demarcation line that first appeared on Chinese maps in the 1940s.

Lee-Brago, P., Laude, J., & Mendez, C. (2015, April 15). Noy: World should fear China actions. The Philippine Star, pp. 1, 17.