In recent years, China has claimed more and more of the South China Sea for itself, at the expense of Southeast Asian countries, including the Philippines. The United States should assist the Philippines in this conflict to lessen China’s hold on the region and expand America’s economic power there.

The Philippines have requested U.N. arbitration on the matter, and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has given his support to this solution. China opposes this and believes the territory is rightfully theirs.

China controls much of the East and South East Asian economy, with a GDP of  $8,358,363,135,690 in 2012, according to the World Bank, compared with the Philippines GDP of $250,182,008,487. If the Philippines gained more control of the resources of the South China Sea, it would diversify the economy of the region.

The United States would benefit greatly from this change in power. The region would be friendlier to the U.S. and might give it favorable trade agreements in return for help. It would also lower the U.S. dependence on China’s economy in the region.

Whether or not U.N. arbitration would help the U.S. economically, it is the fair thing to do. In a Reuters article, China’s foreign minister spokesperson Hua Chunying said, “Non-parties to the dispute should respect the efforts by relevant parties involved to peacefully solve the dispute through direct and friendly negotiation … instead of doing things that could harm regional peace and stability,” implying that China wants the issue to be resolved only by China and the Philippines, not by foreign nations, including the U.S.

This option would end with the Chinese winning total control of the Sea, as they are the stronger nation regarding military, political and economic power. Involving third parties in the dispute would make it a more just process and give the Philippines a fair chance.

A military power such as the United States is needed to keep peace in the area in such an age of increasing Chinese military aggression. A Wall Street Journal article explains, “On July 22, China’s Central Military Commission announced that it would deploy a garrison of soldiers to guard the islands in the area. On July 31, it announced a new policy of ‘regular combat-readiness patrols’ in the South China Sea.”

This expansion cannot be allowed, and the Philippines cannot contest it. A power such as the U.S. is needed to fend off war.

People hold that the conflict should be solved by the nations involved and not foreign nations. But this would be unfair to the Philippines, as China’s power will overwhelm them without foreign support.

The expansionist tendencies of China must be stopped in the South China Sea in order to keep a diverse economy and balance of power should in the area. The United States should support the smaller countries in this matter, as it is the only way to ensure a fair process  through third party arbitration.