[CALL FOR APPLICATION]-YOUNG LEADERS PROGRAM 2021

Becoming a participant of the Young Leaders Program of the 13th South China Sea International Conference means you will be part of a network of scholars who are eager to contribute their thoughts for promoting peace, cooperation and development in the South China Sea and the broader region called Indo-Pacific. You will have the unique chance of interacting with thought leaders of the region and globally,...

The Notes Verbale Debate and The Future of COC Negotiation and Cooperation in the South China Sea

China’s Coast Guard Law: Japan’s Legal Approach

China announced its new Coast Guard Law containing worrisome provisions that need further clarification. Japan, a prominent claimant in the East China Sea, feels threatened by this law.

Assessing China’s Crop Success in the South China Sea

China recently announced that it had successfully cultivated vegetables on Woody Island to meet food demand. But this crop serves more than a nutritional purpose.

An Effect of Trump and More: The Emerging Retrenchment of China’s Strategic Posture

By concluding that The United States can better achieve its goals by flattering a Chinese leader, Trump seemed to signal a reversal of roles: The United States may now need China’s help more than the other way around. Undoubtedly, President Xi will, with certain limitations, exploit this strategic situation to his best.

The East China Sea: Chinese Efforts to Establish a “New Normal” and Prospects for Peaceful Management

As the world turns its attention from Chinese militarization of the South China Sea islets to North Korean nuclear and missile provocations, China is making every effort to establish a “new normal” in the East China Sea with more frequent military and paramilitary presence and more offshore gas platforms construction there.

Unreliable evidence and the South China Sea problem

A review of the verifiable evidence tells a different history about the islands in the South China Sea than that found in the most of the commonly used reference texts.

Joint Development in the South China Sea: Lessons from the Past and Future Prospect

The South China Sea is often said to be rich in hydrocarbon reserves, although most of the deposits are unconfirmed, due in part to the multiple claims laid over them by several coastal economies.

Middle Powers and the South China Sea: Time to Step Up, or Step Out?

The decision in July 2016 by a special tribunal of the Permanent Court of Arbitration to dismiss the legitimacy of China’s expansive territorial claims in the South China Sea has raised significant questions about how this issue should be managed in the future. Some have argued that the ruling presents an opportunity for regional states to reset interactions with Beijing by emphasising cooperation...

ASEAN and Its Partners for Good Order at Sea: Problems and Proposals

This paper argues that only on a rule-based order enforced by appropriate measures can ASEAN and its partners achieve a peaceful and secure maritime environment that benefits all. To ensure safety and security amid the shifting balance of power and mounting non-traditional threats, seafarers need legal instruments such as UNCLOS, a prospective regional COC between ASEAN and China, and more relevant...