Tensions Set To Rise In The South China Sea | The Diplomat 19 February 2014

Tensions Set To Rise In The South China Sea | The Diplomat

by MATT on FEBRUARY 19, 2014 · in ASIA, CHINA

Currently most of the action is in the East China Sea where China and Japan (implicitly the US too) are apparently headed for conflict, including the possibility of war. This article discusses why we should be also directing our attention to the South China Sea.

A series of recent events points to a declining state of stability and security in the South China Sea.

Over the last month and a half, seven significant developments indicate that tensions in the South China Sea are set to rise in both the short and long term. The five short-term trends include:

1. Philippine defiance of China’s fishing ban;
2. continued inaction by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN);
3. the Chinese navy’s repeated assertions of sovereignty over James Shoal;
4. the possibility of an Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) over the South China Sea; and
5. stronger United States opposition to China’s ADIZ and maritime territorial claims.

Tensions Set To Rise In The South China Sea | The Diplomat