" About half of the world’s oil tanker shipments pass through the South China Sea, not only to China, but also to Japan and South Korea. For Japan and South Korea, the possible risk of disruption would come from actions by China. For China, however, there is only one “certain power”—the United States and, in particular, the U.S. Navy. "

― Daniel Yergin , The New Map: Energy, Climate, and the Clash of Nations