Written by: Margaret Santandreu, Associate Editor For years there has been an ongoing maritime claims dispute over the South China Sea among various countries including China, Taiwan, Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and Brunei. The dispute is over territorial control, freedom of navigation, shipping lines, and exploitation of natural resources of oil and gas. The disputed territories include Spratly Islands, Paracel Islands, Mischief Reefs, and other land territories, reefs, continental shelves and banks. China over the years has been exercising its dominance in the region by conducting military exercises and creating artificial islands with military facilities such as naval ports and airline strips, to extend their sovereignty. In 2017 alone, China’s…