They are cutting off counties access to ocean that is within the "exclusive economic zone" of those countries. It's going to come down to filling the ocean wit

They are cutting off counties access to ocean that is within the "exclusive economic zone" of those countries. It's going to come down to filling the ocean with Chinese warships & submarines so that these countries cannot use the sea. It isn't quite taking them over you're right. It's more like making all of the countries that border the South and East China Sea prisoners to the land. If Cuba put an oil rig 150 miles offshore of Florida it would be an act of war.