U.S. President Barack Obama’s first stop in Manila is a symbolic one. He’s touring a naval vessel that has come to represent Philippine resistance to China over the disputed South China Sea, focusing attention on territorial tensions ahead of a meeting of Asia-Pacific leaders. China wants the South China Sea issue to stay off the agenda at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in the Philippines, a U.S. ally that has challenged China at an international arbitration tribunal over its sea claims. But given the level of friction over the waterway, some sort of discussion at the meeting is unavoidable,...
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