$5 trillion of trade goes through the South China Sea. The vast majority of that is going into Chinese ports or coming out of Chinese ports. China, which claims virtually the entirety of the South China Sea, has been the most aggressive and notorious of all South China Sea claimants. Why should these rocks and any resources that might be under them matter to the United States? The region is flush with trade routes, fishing areas, and untold potential natural and energy resources. Protecting the freedom of the seas for commerce and passage while also protecting smaller states and U.S. allies from being coerced is absolutely a U.S. priority. U.S. leadership in the South China Sea is sorely needed. We stand alone as a world power, and our ability to engage China on complex issues for which there are no easy solutions, yet our leadership is noticeably absent and inconsistent. We cannot let Beijing unilaterally define new norms of behavior at the expense of regional stability and the principles and goals of global development and international law.