American pivot balancing strategy towards the Philippine-Chinese dispute over south China sea territories

The United States Pivot to Asia (USPA) policy of President Barack Obama's administration is a balancing strategy against the People's Republic of China's (PRC) rising power and increasing activities in the South China Sea (SCS). This policy aims to expand the US security, diplomatic and economic investment in Asia-Pacific in order to regain the US superior power again in the region. Many scholars in the existing literature argued that the USPA policy is either an engagement or containment strategy. Using the historical method, my thesis intends to analyze the US foreign policy in the Asia-Pacific region (APR) before and during Obama's term in order to find out whether the USPA policy is a balancing, engagement or containment strategy in the APR. In addition to that, using the historical method, my thesis aims to examine the US policy over the South China Sea territorial dispute (SCSTD) since 1995 until the USPA policy of Obama administration from 2009 up to 2016. Based on the findings and analysis of my thesis, the USA has been neutral in terms of the issue of sovereignty towards the SCSTD. However, the USA is committed in preserving the freedom of navigation and maintaining the stability in the APR. My thesis can be used as a source for comparative studies between the South China Sea territorial dispute and other territorial dispute of small states with big states such as Turkey's territorial dispute with Greece and Cyprus. Keywords: The USA, The PRC, The Philippines, balancing, freedom of navigation