Clashing superpowers in the South China Sea

May 29, 2018

The South China Sea is heating up. What are the implications of China’s militarization of the region? What does it mean for the United States and its interest in freedom of navigation? To answer these questions, we gathered four leading experts to discuss the absence of a meaningful U.S. strategy in the South China Sea, the objectives of China and other regional players, and the prospects of a diplomatic solution to the tensions in the area.

William Burke-White, the Director of Perry World House and an expert on international law and global governance; Jacques deLisle, a Professor of Law and director of Penn’s Center for East Asian Studies, whose research and teaching focuses on Chinese law and politics; Lindsey Ford, the Director of Political-Security Affairs for the Asia Society Policy Institute and a former official in the U.S. Department of Defense; and Mark Nevitt, a Sharswood Fellow at Penn Law and former navy aviator with extensive operational experience.

Episode Overview:

• 0:20 – Intro
• 2:36 – Overview of the dispute in the South China Sea
• 4:45 – What undergirds China’s claim to the South China Sea?
• 6:40 – What are U.S. operational priorities in the area?
• 7:42 – How does China’s activity in the South China Sea comport with its broader ambitions?
• 10:45 – How are regional nations dealing with China’s behavior?
• 15:00 – What are the origins of China’s Nine-Dash Line?
• 16:10 – What are the Chinese military assets in the South China Sea? 
• 18:30 – How effective are legal tools in resolving this conflict?
• 21:10 – What military options are available to the United States?
• 22:55 – What are the diplomatic and political tools available to the United States?
• 26:00 – What are the principle issues in the South China Sea over the next two and twenty years?

Music and Produced by Tre Hester