Chapter 5 The South China Sea and Regional Security

The South China Sea is a site of marine territorial and norm-contestation between five ASEAN claimant states, China, and Taiwan. It is a conflict embedded in the geopolitical rivalry between China and the US, and competing world orders. The stance and responses of ASEAN claimant states to China’s artificial island building and hostile actions are shaped by their bilateral economic and military relations, and informed by the desire to obtain support from domestic and international publics. US actions and rhetoric signal security commitment to regional allies and pressure towards China, while proximate regional stakeholders Japan and Australia are involved through joint military exercises and capacity-building for claimant states in support of a rules-based order. ASEAN’s lack of collective consensus on the issue and stalled negotiations over a Code of Conduct portend to its weakness as a regional platform, prompting claimant states to adopt hedging strategies and domestic legal measures establishing remit over EEZ and a centralized maritime law enforcement apparatus dovetailed with defense. The focus on maritime policing, gray zone operations, and securitized fisheries is influencing contestation dynamics. Alternative frames anchored on marine environment and fisheries are offered as pathways to break the collective impasse in solving the maritime dispute.