Introduction

The regional security landscape in the Indo-Pacific is in a state of flux. Several state and non-state actors continue to threaten peace and stability in the region. Certain countries have attempted to implement unilateral policies with little respect for global rules, which are unacceptable for law-abiding nations. In particular, China’s unilateralism on regional issues such as South China Sea, which it claims almost entirely, has irked other claimants. When the Philippines went to the International Court for arbitration and obtained a verdict in its favour in July 2016, China rejected it outright, knowing well that the Court lacked the enforcing power of its judgment. Besides its sustained military militarization, its muscle-flexing behaviour creates a sense of unease in the rest of Asia. While it has territorial disputes with Japan over the Senkaku islands, China has a festering boundary dispute with India that shows no signs of early resolution.