Stimson’s Southeast Asia maritime security research tracks, analyzes and provides informed insight on the maritime disputes of the South China Sea and rising tensions that characterize them, especially regarding fisheries, undersea oil and gas resources, regional relations and US policy issues. With an eye towards the possibility of cooperation and joint development, our work examines the history, law, and current atmosphere of the South China Sea maritime disputes in order to identify the most important factors affecting regional stability and practical approaches to resolving or ameliorating them.
News
Dr. Richard Cronin, Senior Associate and Director of Stimson’s Southeast Asia program, was invited to testify before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs on September 12th for their hearing on Beijing as an Emerging Power in the South China Sea. To read Dr. Cronin’s testimony, please click here.
Analysis
China’s Assertiveness Threatens Peace in the South China Sea | April 18, 2013
By Richard Cronin
Arbitration in the South China Sea: Between the Rocks and a Hard Case | March 4, 2013
By Zach Dubel
Sea of Absurdity: Sansha, China’s New Island “City” | August 14, 2012
By Richard Cronin and Zach Dubel
Regional Implications for China’s Newest Oil Rig | July 02, 2012
By Zach Dubel
Ongoing Projects
Report: Maritime Security in East Asia (A Working Draft) | August 28, 2012
Maritime territorial disputes increasingly threaten the peace and stability of East Asia, including those in the East China Sea between China and Japan in the Sea of Japan,between the Republic of Korea (ROK) and Japan, and between China and four of its neighbors in the South China Sea. The specific issues and circumstances differ but in all three cases the root causes are the fast rising global competition for increasingly scarce natural resources, especially rich but increasingly degraded fisheries and anticipated undersea oil and gas deposits…Read More>>
By Richard Cronin and Zach Dubel
Multimedia
Conflicting Claims in the South China Sea | May 6, 2013
The Stimson Center and the Washington Foreign Law Society hosted a discussion of the battle among South China Sea neighbors
Richard Cronin on the South China Sea | June 15, 2012
Richard Cronin talks about tensions between Beijing and Washington over the South China Sea on Voice of America.
Photo credit, top left clockwise: Central Intelligence Agency, via Wikipedia; U.S. Navy; iStockphoto; and Google Earth.