© Chappatte, The International New York Times, 20 mai 2015
While the global balance of power, under the impetus of the steady rise of China, is shifting towards the Asia-Pacific, and because the future of US policy is uncertain after the election of Donald Trump, tensions in the South China Sea have once again become a major strategic concern. The South China Sea is witnessing a series of sovereignty disputes between littoral states defending rivalling claims to maritime rights and boundaries. Adding weight and urgency to the disputes are the significant natural resources found in the coveted archipelagos and sea beds as well as the rising national sentiments in many of the claimant states. The geostrategic dimension of these quarrels is largely transcending the region and the involvement of external powers such as the United States further complicates the equation. The recent legal victory of the Philippines over China can be seen as a supplementary cause for anxiety in a latent conflict that may at any time escalate into a regional or global confrontation. Henceforth the search for a negotiated solution becomes crucial as military budgets continue to soar in the region.
War on the Horizon?
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I
Multiplying Hotbeds of Tension
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1
Antagonisms in the South China Sea: The Regional Perspective
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2
A Sea at the Heart of Chinese National Interest
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3
The US Pivot Strategy: A Change of Paradigm in the South China Sea?
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4
China and the United States: The Evolution of a Relationship
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5
Legal Victory for the Philippines against China: A Case Study
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6
Arms Race in the South China Sea: What Threshold?
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O
Uncertainty in the South China Sea in the Wake of Trump’s Inauguration: The Risk of Escalating Rhetoric