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ASEAN Initiatives Face Strong Headwinds

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  At a joint press conference with U.S. secretary of state John Kerry in Washington, D.C., in February, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi assured his audience that, compared with other parts of the world, the South China Sea was stable. To be sure, the Spratly Islands are not Syria. The geopolitical stakes, however, are arguably much higher than in the Middle East, and since the beginning of 2016, events have suggested that the South China Sea is becoming more and more tumultuous by the week. In March, for instance, the Philippines alleged that the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) and… Read More »ASEAN Initiatives Face Strong Headwinds

Diverging Paths? Singapore-China Relations and the East Asian Maritime Domain

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Singapore and China are experiencing an unprecedented period of friction in their usually calm bilateral relations. Much of the divergence is over issues relating to the South China Sea, despite the fact that Singapore is not party to the sovereignty disputes. In particular, the two sides differ in their interpretations of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and over regarding China’s reclamation of features in the South China Sea. Behind these differences lie divergent perspectives on the existing international order, international law, the management of maritime issues, and Singapore’s strategic partnership with the United States.… Read More »Diverging Paths? Singapore-China Relations and the East Asian Maritime Domain