July 13, 2016
Forging a Consensus on China’s Bullying
The Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague has handed the United States a unique opportunity to rally opposition to China’s designs in the South China Sea and to preserve a regional order defined by rules rather than might. While the world will watch China’s next moves, the ruling tests Washington as much as Beijing.
The court’s decision could hardly be more sweeping. It found that China illegally seized Scarborough Shoal from the Philippines in 2012. China’s claim to historical control over the South China Sea is also exposed as baseless. Even if there were any evidence for such claims, they were superseded by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, to which Beijing is a party. The decision reads as an utter rejection of China’s assertions and its maritime activity in the area.
More from CNAS
-
How China and the U.S. Are Competing for Young Minds in Southeast Asia
Business leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos last month warned that China has overtaken the United States in the development of artificial intelligence and other emer...
By Kristine Lee
-
China's Artificial Islands Are Bigger (And a Bigger Deal) Than You Think
Surely you have heard the news — China has been dredging up coral reefs and creating artificial islands in the South China Sea with the purpose of enforcing their claims...
By CDR Thomas Shugart, USN
-
Defense / Indo-Pacific Security
Beijing's Go Big or Go Home Moment in the South China SeaChina is preparing for its go or go home moment in the South China Sea and it appears they have chosen the right time to make a play for regional and, ultimately, global domin...
By Jerry Hendrix
-
Defense / Indo-Pacific Security
Parting the South China SeaJuly 12, 2016, marked a turning point in the long-standing disputes over the South China Sea. After more than three years of proceedings at the Permanent Court of Arbitration,...
By Mira Rapp-Hooper