The Indo-Pacific region is facing a host of daunting maritime challenges, including increasingly frequent and extreme weather events due to climate change, ocean pollution, pressure
The Australia-India-Indonesia (AII) trilateral is an example of how the power structure in Asia has become multipolar. Conceived formally in Bogor in 2017, the AII
North and South Korean defense leaders set lofty goals for reducing tension in multiple arenas via the 2018 Agreement on the Implementation of the Historic
North Korea’s development of nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines would enhance its nuclear deterrent capability, making preemptive strikes against the country risky. South Korea has also
The Maritime Police Law was passed on January 22, 2021, by the National People’s Congress of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The law, which
In Northeast Asia, maritime territorial and boundary disputes contribute to friction among South Korea, North Korea, Japan, and China. As inter-Korean diplomatic progress has stalled,
Summary of Interests The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has called for a peaceful resolution of the territorial disputes in the South China Sea
Summary of Claims Brunei, located in Southeast Asia on the north-western coast of the island of Borneo, claims a 200-nautical mile (nm) exclusive economic zone
East China Sea Summary of Claims China maintains that the Diaoyu Islands (or Diaoyudao) have been a part of its sovereign territory since the Ming
Resources/Assets Related to Claims The waters of the Natuna region are extremely rich in fish-stocks and the Indonesian Natuna Islands administration claims that the regional
Summary of Claims Japan claims sovereignty over the Senkaku Islands, which are disputed by China and Taiwan (which refer to the islands as the Diaoyu
Summary of Claims Malaysia claims ten maritime features in the southern region of the Spratly Islands but may have dropped its claim to an eleventh
The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), also called the Law of the Sea Convention or the Law of the Sea
The ASEAN Treaty of Amity and Cooperation provides guidance for intra-ASEAN cooperation, as well as ASEAN engagement with external partners such as the United States
The Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, signed by China and the members of ASEAN in Phnom Penh in 2002,
The Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea is a non-binding multilateral agreement standardizing safety protocols, basic communications, and basic maneuvering at sea for ships and
The Agreement for the Implementation of the Provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law on the Law of the Sea of 10 December
U.S.-Japan Security Treaty Between the United States of American and Japan (September 8, 1951) U.S.-Japan Security Treaty (January 19, 1960) The Guidelines for U.S.-Japan Defense