The Changing Power Distribution in the South China Sea: Implications for Conflict Management and Avoidance
The South China Sea disputes continue to play a destabilizing role in regional security and to act as an irritant in bilateral and multilateral relations. The Paracel and Spratly Islands are at the center of competing territorial, economic and strategic interests. This paper focuses specifically...
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| Format: | Working Paper |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2016
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/10356/82635 http://hdl.handle.net/10220/40192 |
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| Institution: | Nanyang Technological University |
| Language: | English |
| Summary: | The South China Sea disputes continue to play a destabilizing role in regional security
and to act as an irritant in bilateral and multilateral relations. The Paracel and Spratly
Islands are at the center of competing territorial, economic and strategic interests. This
paper focuses specifically on the changing distribution of power in the South China
Sea and assesses its implications for conflict management and avoidance. It notes a
growing asymmetry of naval power to the advantage of China, causing concern in
some Southeast Asian capitals. The paper discusses how the Southeast Asian nations
have traditionally sought to mitigate the unequal power distribution in the South
China Sea through a particular model of conflict management and avoidance. While
acknowledging its positive impact, the paper highlights the limits of this model in the
current context of rising power asymmetry and the swelling security dilemma caused
by China’s growing naval strength. |
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