Dispute in the South China Sea

International tensions rise in the baby blue of the South China Sea over who owns the Spratlys, Paracels and Scarborough Shoal – island chains rich in oil, natural gas and seafood, according to the Christian Science Monitor. The Philippines claims the Scarborough Shoal and sent its biggest warship to defend it, the BBC reports. The United States reacted by sending in more troops and ships to the Philippines in April, according to The New York Times. Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia and China are competing over the Spratlys and Paracel islands. In the north, China sent two military ships near Senkaku archipelago, Japan claims, causing another stir.