There are plenty of disagreements between Beijing and Washington — from Taiwan to human rights to aiding Russia — but the most immediately dangerous is China’s ownership claim of essentially the entire South China Sea.

On his recent trip to China, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken did well in conveying America’s desire keep the bilateral relationship on a relatively stable course. Meeting with President Xi Jinping and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, he discussed zones of cooperation including curbing fentanyl and expanding military-to-military communications.

But Blinken also expressed concern “over destabilizing PRC actions at Second Thomas Shoal” — an atoll in the South China Sea claimed by both China and the Philippines, which is a US treaty ally. He stressed upholding rules of international law and freedom of navigation. It seems this fell on deaf ears: According to the government of the Philippines, two of its ships were attacked with water cannons and rammed by Chinese Coast Guard vessels this week near another contested area, the Scarborough Shoal.

How can the US push back on sweeping Chinese maritime claims? How can it bring together allies to help deter China and thus avoid war? How should such a coalition train and operate together?