Critics of the treaty contend it would unfairly restrict the US too much in mining the seabed for minerals. But under rules of the treaty’s International Seabed Authority, the US would be able to veto any proposed implementation of such provisions.

In 2010, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton declared that resolution of the disputes in the South China Sea is in America’s interest. This assertion at first angered China, but it has since shown some moderation in its behavior.