Clear mist of confusion over South China Sea

The report of China deploying a missile system on Yongxing Island, part of the Xisha Islands in the South China Sea came as a "surprise", with the Western world citing it as further evidence of China's "direct military provocation" to other countries and a threat to regional peace and order. The United States expects to hold "very serious talks" with China, and its allies have expressed concern over the development.

This is quite intriguing.

In the past, the international community mostly focused on the disputes over the Nansha Islands in the South China Sea which largely involved China and the Philippines. And despite Beijing's clarifications and stand, Washington has made its policy very pro-Manila along with its actions in the Asia-Pacific, a region that is thousands of kilometers away from its coasts.