The Spratly Islands and International Law examines legal solutions to problems arising from the absence of maritime boundaries in the Spratly Islands. The book draws on extensive sources of international law and formulates novel, concrete proposals for the way forward.

"In The Spratly Islands and International Law, Xuechan Ma offers a detailed analysis of legal solutions to achieve coexistence and cooperation in the Spratly Islands in the absence of maritime delimitation.

This exceptional volume deals with the hotly contested legal status of the Paracels and the Spratlys, two inhospitable archipelagos located in the South China Sea, sovereignty over which is disputed by several states. The author investigates the contribution which international law can make towards determining the rights of all parties involved. In order to do so she goes back into history to find out at each stage what the actual situation was and what its legal significance was in terms of the legal categories of the time. The originality of this work, compared to others already published on this topic, lies in its analysis of the valuable French archives. Not only these archives, but also existing legal writings have served as a basis for the investigation into the status of the archipelagos. The book sheds new and significant light on this important question.

Explains the continuing struggle between the contesting countries over the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, the origins of which are partly historic and partly based on argumentation arising from the provisions of the Law of the Sea. Each country's standpoint is described in relation to its claim and is related to the modes of acquisition of territory according to the principles of international law. The reasoning related to these claims is quite different in the post-war period from that before World War II, a reflection of changed political and economic (natural resource exploitation) circumstances - Introduction.

Digging deep into the fields of international law (IL) and international relations (IR) theory, this book offers a groundbreaking interdisciplinary exploration of legal solutions to the South China Sea dispute. Youngmin Seo navigates the complex terrain of the role of international law in times of power redistribution, presenting unique insights that redefine perspectives. Seamlessly blending IR and IL perspectives and providing a nuanced understanding of this global issue in the Indo-Pacific, this work is a beacon in turbulent waters.

The delimitation of maritime zones is an important requirement for peaceful relations between neighbouring States. There are numerous examples of areas between States with opposite or adjacent coasts where sovereignty over an island or territory may not be contested but the delimitation of the continental shelf and exclusive economic zone is still pending. Under the Law of the Sea Convention, the delimitation of these zones shall be effected by agreement on the basis of international law. However, the Convention does not offer a definitive answer as to the methods that should be applied. This publication includes contributions by Judges of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, eminent scholars and experienced practitioners. The papers deal with various aspects of maritime delimitation: the jurisprudence of international courts and tribunals and their relevance for delimitation, the impact of the Law of the Sea Convention, the role of legal practitioners and diplomatic negotiators, and delimitation under particular geological circumstances and in geographically complex regional situations. It is designed to provide insight and guidance to the complicated process of maritime delimitation.