Western Imperialism?

South China Sea has become a hot potato ever since China started its reclamation project on the islands whose ownership has been under contention by several nations: Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia, and China. It had since provided explosive fodder for the political tussles that may turn into an ugly military conflict. Strangely, the conflict is not between China and these contentious nations, but with the USA located some 12,000 km away.