What started it all was China's old 9 dash line relic. Why should the surrounding countries accept it? Other reclamation islands were tiny and harmless and more of a play thing. It all changed when China escalated the situation by making the big three ones. Instead of China a leadership role in ironng out resolutions, they just claim it all, and pursued actually policy on it. All those tiny outposts by the others also do not threaten free passage of trade. China's three big ones do. It is China that changed the status que in the region.
The Senkaku islands belong to Japan. Chinamade up the claim in the early 1970s. That is another example of trying change the status que.
Any history before WW2 is invalid and is just an excuse. Did the US threaten China in the 1980s? 1990s? 2000s? No. Instead the US enabled China to join the WTO, a godsend for the Chinese economy. Did the US threaten China during its economic raise? No they didn't. And they let China bully the ASEAN countries in order to not bother the economic relation between the US and China, which seem to emboldened China to try expanding even more. Well they crossedthe line with three large air bases. Lets not make pretend that all the hot headed chinese posters were excited and laughing and mocking the US and booasting confidence about their gains in the South China Sea. Now what we have is a change, "China was provoked" into expanding in the South China Sea. Utterly pathetic, cowardly, and stubborn. And you know. Just another troll, once a hot-head, now crying foul.
Leave Mischief Reef, Subi Reef, and Firery Cross Reef. And drop the 9 dash line. The Kangaroo court was a soft gentle warning. China took it as an invitation to keep pressing instead. Only going to get worse for China if they keep it up...