I'm not sure a US naval flotilla would do anything to ease tensions?

Besides, the next war is likely to be fought by remotely controlled small drones/mini subs and the like!?

None of this would have happened if the U.S. still had its post war naval base/nuclear armed flotilla in the Philippines?

That said, agreeing to share the bounty is better than going to war over it, and then neither party being able to recover anything? Let alone wounded pride or loss of face!

Loss of face being worse than death in some Asian societies/traditions!

A better role for the US is likely to be a convivial Camp David summit and many informal chats over many cups of "tea"? And continued until a completely face saving compromise is signed, sealed and delivered.

[i.e., We have the funds and the infrastructure workforce and expertise, you have a traditional claim to the territory/resource and the (mighty nuclear armed) US as a premier ally!?]

We for our part could just crack on, lead by example and turn all our biological waste into a massive endlessly sustainable gas resource, and then use the waste from that to grow a truly massive equally sustainable oil rich algae industry!

And surely China produces more biological waste than just about any other nation? And building the infrastructure for those two could take even as someone as large and populous as China, the next two decades at least?

If wars are to be fought over anything?

It will be energy and or potable water!

And given we now have endlessly viable and cost effective solutions for both, no nation however populous need to go to war for either! [Just crack on building the requisite infrastructure!]

Why in heaven's name would any right minded nation or nations, start a mutually destructive war over the entirely selfish commercial interests of the oil or water barons/mindless corporations, who will win whatever the outcome!? Hmmm?
More tea anyone?
Rhrosty.
More "tea"anyone?