“no, i’m saying they’re doing it because they think/know they can get away with it. …and they probably can”
Actually I agree. It’ll become a fait accompli. It’s just not important enough for the US to fight over. This isn’t the Gulf of Mexico after all. Plus China has lots of non military leverage over us.
It’ll get sticky if China blocks the Philippines, Vietnam or whoever from sailing in waters which would normally be considered their own.