The SCS is critical to the US leadership regarding global peace and stability. The SCS is an indispensable global shipping route, with about one-third of global maritime trade passing through it. The US supports unrestricted access and freedom of navigation in the SCS under international law. Thus, it opposes China’s expansive territorial claims that threaten it.

For the US, peace and stability in the region are crucial for undisrupted trade and economic growth. It often counters China’s unilateral changes to the status quo in the region. The region's economic importance is far more consequential for either power to weaken its stronghold. Control over its rich natural resources, including oil, gas, and fisheries, has economic and geopolitical implications that influence global markets and energy security.

Therefore, Trump ordered several measures to counter China’s influence in the SCS. For example, on 24 May 2017, the Freedom of Navigation Operations (FONOPs) was first conducted near Mischief Reef. It challenges China’s territorial claims and pushes for international navigation rights. In July 2017, he approved the measure that gives the US Navy more freedom to conduct patrols in the SCS, enabling the US Navy to carry out frequent operations with less high-level approval. In early March 2025, Trump announced the creation of a White House office dedicated to shipbuilding and proposed new tax incentives to revitalise the US shipbuilding industry. The move aims to reduce reliance on Chinese-built vessels and counter China’s dominance in global maritime trade. In addition, the Trump administration proposed to impose fees on ships docking at US ports that are part of fleets, including Chinese-built or Chinese-flagged vessels, to diminish China’s influence in global shipping.

The Philippines in Southeast Asia is a strategic partner for the US in its broader Indo-Pacific strategy. In 2024, the US significantly enhanced its military collaboration with the Philippines by deploying advanced weaponry and, in 2025, conducting joint exercises aimed at bolstering regional security. In April last year, the US Army’s Typhoon Missile System, capable of striking targets up to 1,200 miles away, was deployed to Luzon Island for joint military exercises. In March 2025, the US defence secretary announced the deployment of the Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS), a mobile, land-based anti-ship missile launcher, to the Philippines. The two countries are scheduled in April 2025 to conduct an annual joint military exercise to showcase major missile systems, including NMESIS.

These developments reflect a deepening of the US-Philippines alliance amid escalating tensions in the SCS. The deployment of advanced US military hardware and the enhancement of joint operational capabilities serve as a strategic countermeasure to China's assertive actions in the region.

Nonetheless, US peace efforts are also problematic to the regional peace itself as China further launches countermeasures to their detriment. In response to US FONOPs, China has intensified military drills in the SCS, including large-scale naval exercises. In August 2020, China launched ballistic missiles into the SCS, demonstrating its capabilities and warning the US against further interference. It has expanded maritime patrols and challenged foreign vessels, including US warships, to assert its territorial claims. Moreover, China has continued constructing and upgrading military infrastructure on artificial islands with airstrips, missile defence systems, and radar facilities. The US tariffs against China also created opportunities for countries like Vietnam to benefit from the global supply chain disruptions by getting closer to China commercially.

Under Trump’s America First policy, US disengagement from allies and traditional partners shows inconsistencies in his engagement. It allows China to strengthen diplomatic ties with regional players like Japan, South Korea and the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN). The foreign ministers of the East Asian countries, China, Japan and South Korea, met at the 11th Trilateral Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Tokyo on 22 March 2025 to strengthen free trade and regional cooperation. The Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi said that amidst international chaos, there is a need for the three countries to strengthen communication further, enhance mutual trust, and deepen cooperation towards more stabilising regional peace and development, as reported.

Trump’s China policy in the SCS reflects a mix of economic pressure, selective military engagements, and strategic ambiguity. While his administration sought to curb China’s influence through tariffs, sanctions, and naval operations, the lack of consistent diplomatic engagement with regional allies creates openings for Beijing to strengthen its foothold.

This article is authored by Mehdi Hussain, research associate, Indian Council of World Affairs, New Delhi.