The article is devoted to the analysis of high-profile events that occurred in the South China Sea in early 2020. The Sino-Indonesian incident near the Natuna Islands, a new conflict between Vietnam and China in the Vietnamese exclusive economic zone are examined. Special attention is paid to the position of the United States on the actions by China. At the same time, Beijing’s actions in the SCS in 2020 remain within the framework of the “Salami strategy,» a consistent, phased extension of China’s sovereignty and jurisdiction to the entire South China Sea.
Troubled South China Sea: New Contradictions in 2020