South China Sea

Australia's Security and the Rules-Based Order: Tracking a Decade of Policy Evolution
Interactives
Australia's Security and the Rules-Based Order: Tracking a Decade of Policy Evolution
In this feature, we identify ten recurring propositions about the rules-based order and show it's evolution through national debate and government policy. Explore how the rules…
The South China Sea map that wasn’t
The South China Sea map that wasn’t
On 9 September, the US embassy in Hanoi published on Facebook a map of Vietnam on a poster to commemorate the 25th anniversary of US-Vietnam diplomatic relations. At first the map…
Jakarta should be wary of Beijing’s South China Sea proposals
Jakarta should be wary of Beijing’s South China Sea proposals
Jakarta has long made clear its position as a non-claimant state on the South China Sea, stating its principal interest in the dispute is to maintain peace and security in the…
China is overturning the rules-based order from within
China is overturning the rules-based order from within
Persistent debates over the meaning of the “liberal” or “rules-based” international order demonstrate a point of agreement among scholars and policymakers: the real power of the…
Brunei, ASEAN and the South China Sea
Brunei, ASEAN and the South China Sea
On 20 July, after a long period silence on the issue, the Brunei Darussalam Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement declaring that it “maintains its two-step approach in…
Australia lays down the law in the South China Sea dispute
Australia lays down the law in the South China Sea dispute
Australia has entered the renewed diplomatic fray about China’s maritime claims in the South China Sea, clarifying, if not entirely resolving, Canberra’s previously vague legal…
After ASEAN summit, little change on the South China Sea
After ASEAN summit, little change on the South China Sea
On 26 June, the leaders of the ten-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) held their 36th annual summit by video conference, after the in-person summit…
As Jakarta trims defence, Beijing makes waves in the South China Sea
As Jakarta trims defence, Beijing makes waves in the South China Sea
The Covid-19 outbreak has hit hard for Southeast Asian economies. Anticipating more shocks to come, several countries have already moved to cut defence spending, seeing the…
Troubled waters: China’s sovereign ambition in the shadows of Covid-19
Troubled waters: China’s sovereign ambition in the shadows of Covid-19
Around midnight on 2 April, a Vietnamese fishing vessel sank in the disputed waters in the South China Sea after allegedly being rammed by the Chinese coastguard. Vietnam’s…
Forging consensus in the South China Sea
Forging consensus in the South China Sea
Analysis as to how Hanoi might resolve its South China Sea disputes with other claimants has been overshadowed by a near exclusive depiction of its competition with Beijing. Hanoi…