The South China Sea region contains potentially huge deposits of petroleum and natural gas, important shipping lanes and fishing areas, and is subject to a number of maritime territorial disputes. This edited volume analyzes the most recent development in the South China Sea dispute looking at the positions taken by China, the ASEAN countries, and the US. In recent years maritime joint development zones have emerged as an important means to overcome deadlock in relation to maritime jurisdictional claims. This book tests the applicability of joint development regime in this region and explores the prospect of joint development of resources as a way to successfully manage the conflict in the South China Sea. Eminent scholars in the field of South China Sea studies have contributed original chapters to the volume covering such issues as: the legal framework for joint development; how joint development might work in practice; the challenges faced by and the prospects arising from joint development; and the way forward for the region.

Over the last few decades there has been growing recognition of the importance of a peaceful and stable South China Sea for Indo-Pacific security and development, a recognition that has been underlain, paradoxically, by the increasingly precarious situation in this body of water that straddles critical shipping lanes from the Indian to the Pacific Ocean. This book informs its readership of the most recent developments in the South China Sea with insightful and prescient analyses from both legal and international relations perspectives. It delves into the policy perspectives and deliberations of the various relevant regional and extra-regional actors in the South China Sea dispute, the exercise of international law in the context of the changing regional political landscape, and the promise and pitfalls of past, current, and potential initiatives to manage and settle the dispute. Written by some of the most well-known scholars and knowledgeable insiders in the fields South China Sea studies, the collection offers a wide array of diverse views that should help enrich the ongoing global discussion on conflict management and resolution in the South China Sea.

The South China Sea (SCS) has emerged as a theatre of political, economic, and security concerns not only for the countries in the region but also for the world at large. Contrary to conventional wisdom, the SCS issue is not about contestation over territory or control over resources alone. With military facilities including airstrips and artificial islands or structures being built in the area, concerns about freedom of navigation and the right to innocent passage have also become an overwhelming security issue and made the SCS region a flashpoint which, according to many assessments, can lead to confrontations including those involving conventional military means. Disruption of maritime passage could also hamper trade and commerce with very negative impacts on the economic development of the region and other countries. It is now being held that China could also be using the SCS disputes as part of a consorted effort to deflect geo-political pressures on account of the COVID-19 pandemic-related cover-ups and misinformation.This book explores the historical and strategic context of the South China Sea disputes and makes an assessment of the implications of the same for freedom of navigation and other regimes at sea.

'The book has been written by many highly qualified observers and academicians that have spent a lot of time observing and analyzing the recent developments in the South China Sea, particularly those relating to the dispute and way of overcoming them. I do hope that this publication will throw some light on such important matters and indicate possible roads to follow in solving the territorial disputes through joint development concept.' Hasjim Djalal, Director of Southeast Asian Studies, Jakarta, Indonesia This highly informative and up-to-date book brings together expert scholars in law of the sea to explore the legal and geopolitical aspects of the South China Sea disputes and provide an in-depth examination on the prospects of joint development in the South China Sea. The South China Sea has long been regarded as a source of conflict and tension in Asia. Underlying this conflict is the dispute between China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei over the features in the South China Sea, as well as the resources in the surrounding waters. One viable solution is for the claimants to set aside their claims and jointly develop the hydrocarbon resources in the South China Sea. Unlike previous works, this book takes a unique approach by examining existing joint development arrangements in Asia to see if there are any 'lessons learnt' that may be applicable to the South China Sea. This approach has enabled the editors to move beyond a mere theoretical discussion on joint development and focus on the law, policy and practical issues related to joint development. Beyond Territorial Disputes in the South China Sea will strongly appeal to Government officials, policy-makers from ASEAN Countries, China and the United States, as well as academics, particularly those who are involved in legal scholarship on the South China Sea disputes. Practitioners of oil and gas law will also find much to benefit them in this book.

This edited volume rethinks the relationship between power and law in the age of China’s rise by examining recent developments in the South China Sea (SCS). The contributors explore different interpretations of international law on the legal status of the contested islands and rocks and provide detailed analyses of the contested concepts and provisions, the 2016 ruling by the SCS arbitration tribunal, as well as the environmental, economic, and political impacts of the ruling. This book facilitates a more meaningful and productive dialogue over the intersection, interaction, and interdependence between power and law in the context of the SCS. Assessing the interactions between political, legal, and normative forces, it provides insights into the specific dynamics of the dispute and the shifting security landscape in the region, but also offers a basis for thinking more deeply about the broader rise of China. This book will appeal to both students and scholars of IR, International Law, and Asian Studies and those engaged in research on the SCS disputes, the rise of China, and with a theoretical interest in law and power in international affairs.

This book discusses the South China Sea dispute from a Chinese perspective with regards to history, law, international politics, the economy, diplomacy and military affairs. Not only does it detail China’s official position on the sovereignty and maritime disputes in the South China Sea, but also provides analyses of the related factors influencing the origin and development of these disputes. It further assesses the complexity, internationalisation and long-term struggle over the South China Sea and China’s efforts in dispute resolution. Solving Disputes for Regional Cooperation and Development aims to help readers better understand a Chinese perspective on the complexity of the South China Sea disputes, including competition over the sovereignty of the islets, islands regime and its impact on maritime delimitation, overlapping maritime claims, and how the adjacent states can cooperate for resource development in the South China Sea. This title is highly pertinent in the context of the growing attention paid to potential international conflicts in the South China Sea, and covers a wide range of topics including history, law, international politics, economy, diplomacy and military affairs. Highly pertinent in the context of the growing attention paid to potential international conflicts in the South China Sea Covers a wide range of topics including history, law, international politics, economy, diplomacy and military affairs One of the very few books written by a Chinese scholar in English in this area

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.