Explainer: Why are China and Philippines tensions heating up?

Chinese President Xi Jinping as he attends the closing session of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (Andy Wong/AP)

Karen Lema

An escalating diplomatic row and recent maritime run-ins between China and the Philippines, a U.S. treaty ally, have made the highly strategic South China Sea a potential flashpoint between Washington and Beijing.

The issue will be a focus of trilateral meeting between U.S. President Joe Biden, Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Washington on Thursday.