The‘FreedomofNavigation'issuehasbeenvolatileandofteninfluencedbySino-USrelationsinrecentyears.ThisproblemwasrootedindifferentinterpretationoftheUNCLOSbyChinaandtheUS.IthasalsoreflectedtheirdifferentnationalInterestsandmaritimestrategies.Thisissuehascausedfrequentfrictionsbetweenthetwosidesandmayleadtotheirfuturecontestforseapower.Atthesametime,italsourgesthebothsidestosetupnewmechanismforconfidencebuildingthatmayhelpthemtomanageitinamorerationalway.