Why appeasing China will never work

MANILA -- In the contested waters of the South China Sea, the confrontation between China and the Philippines is intensifying. Manila accuses Chinese vessels of repeatedly harassing Philippine boats with water cannons and other methods such as deliberately colliding with them.

China's growing belligerency is not just the Philippines' problem: The South China Sea is a major trade artery through which large amounts of fuels and goods pass daily, and disruption to this traffic could cause immeasurable harm to the global economy.