Boundary disputes in the South China Sea have been a long-standing threat to peace and security in East and Southeast Asia. Without agreed definition of boundaries, provisional arrangements to develop resources in the disputed area have become the favored, and most effective, solution. Therefore, joint development between various countries has taken place in the form of ad hoc arrangements with the goal of achieving positive outcomes for all parties involved. Incorporating insights from ten authors from six countries (Brunei, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam), this book provides a comprehensive analysis of the incentives and policies to joint development in the South China Sea disputes. The authors also discuss the bottlenecks and proposed policy options. The authors ease doubts over joint development in South China Sea disputes and shed light on creative ways to promote cooperation. The book is a key reference for students and scholars in politics and international relations, Asian Studies, and maritime law.

This book discusses the South China Sea dispute from a Chinese perspective with regards to history, law, international politics, the economy, diplomacy and military affairs. Not only does it detail China’s official position on the sovereignty and maritime disputes in the South China Sea, but also provides analyses of the related factors influencing the origin and development of these disputes. It further assesses the complexity, internationalisation and long-term struggle over the South China Sea and China’s efforts in dispute resolution. Solving Disputes for Regional Cooperation and Development aims to help readers better understand a Chinese perspective on the complexity of the South China Sea disputes, including competition over the sovereignty of the islets, islands regime and its impact on maritime delimitation, overlapping maritime claims, and how the adjacent states can cooperate for resource development in the South China Sea. This title is highly pertinent in the context of the growing attention paid to potential international conflicts in the South China Sea, and covers a wide range of topics including history, law, international politics, economy, diplomacy and military affairs. Highly pertinent in the context of the growing attention paid to potential international conflicts in the South China Sea Covers a wide range of topics including history, law, international politics, economy, diplomacy and military affairs One of the very few books written by a Chinese scholar in English in this area

The history of the South China Sea is a catalyst of international cooperation and conflict. Security in the Indo-Asia-Pacific is largely governed by command of these strategic waters. More than half of global shipping transits the South China Sea, which also holds significant reserves of oil, gas and minerals, as well as some of the largest fisheries in the world. Drawing on a team of field-leading researchers, Jenner and Thuy provide an empirical study of the global ocean's most contested sea space. The volume's four parts offer an insightful analysis of the significance of the South China Sea to the international order; sub-national agents of influence on relations between states; the disputes over sovereignty through the analytical prism of international law; and the conflictful region's prospects. The primary source-based conclusion elucidates the agency of history and strategy in the South China Sea.

This Palgrave Pivot uses a simple model from game theory to explain the behavior of countries disputing ownership of resources and of small islands in the South China Sea. It argues that the rapid transformation of the region's economy - the rise of Factory Asia – is not being acknowledged, leading countries to take chances beyond what a rational picture of costs and benefits would suggest. Regional economic cooperation may be a viable alternative to the present conflicts. However, the varied experience of regional initiatives in Southeast Asia provides a cautionary note that, while there is the potential for peaceful development of the South China Sea, there are significant challenges to structuring successful programs.

Heightened tensions in the South China Sea have raised serious concerns about the dangers of conflict in this region as a result of unresolved, complex territorial disputes. This volume offers detailed insights into a range of country-perspectives, addressing the historical, legal, structural, regional and multilateral dimensions of these disputes

The South China Sea region contains potentially huge deposits of petroleum and natural gas, important shipping lanes and fishing areas, and is subject to a number of maritime territorial disputes. This edited volume analyzes the most recent development in the South China Sea dispute looking at the positions taken by China, the ASEAN countries, and the US. In recent years maritime joint development zones have emerged as an important means to overcome deadlock in relation to maritime jurisdictional claims. This book tests the applicability of joint development regime in this region and explores the prospect of joint development of resources as a way to successfully manage the conflict in the South China Sea. Eminent scholars in the field of South China Sea studies have contributed original chapters to the volume covering such issues as: the legal framework for joint development; how joint development might work in practice; the challenges faced by and the prospects arising from joint development; and the way forward for the region.