The South China Sea: From a Regional Maritime Dispute to Geo-Strategic Competition (Routledge Security in Asia Pacific Series)

This book explores the very latest developments in the South China Sea maritime dispute. It examines the South China Sea as an arena for geostrategic competition between China and the United States and why the dispute is so important for regional and global geopolitics. It outlines the most recent developments in the sea itself and assesses the role of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the current views of the contesting claimants. It considers the position of countries from outside the region, India as well as Japan; surveys military and naval developments; and examines confidence building, preventive diplomacy, and dispute resolution measures. The book concludes by highlighting the points of greatest risk and by discussing how the situation is likely to develop going forward. Cover 1 Half Title 2 Series Page 3 Title Page 4 Copyright Page 5 Contents 6 List of tables 8 Acknowledgements 10 List of contributors 12 Acronyms 18 Maps 22 Introduction: the development of the South China Sea dispute 24 1 Four aspects of the crisis in the South China Sea 32 2 ASEAN and the South China Sea 47 3 ASEAN, China, and the Code of Conduct 66 4 China and the South China Sea: continuities and adaptions 83 5 Vietnam and the South China Sea 100 6 The Philippines–China joint development 116 7 Japan and the South China Sea 131 8 The US and the South China Sea 140 9 South China Sea: geopolitical connectedness to the Indian Ocean 160 10 European powers and the South China Sea 174 11 International law, force, and coercion in the South China Sea 192 12 Military build-up in the South China Sea 205 13 Intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance in the South China Sea 224 14 US employment of marine unmanned vehicles in the South China Sea 240 Conclusion 253 Index 262