Vietnam’s Need for a Post-Arbitration Policy

By and | Tháng Tám 18, 2016 | Categories: Arbitration, South China Sea, Vietnam
The July 12 judgement of the tribunal at the Permanent Court of Arbitration regarding Manila’s case against Beijing’s South China Sea claims has reshaped the geostrategic landscape in Southeast Asia. But surprisingly, Vietnam has only issued a brief statement on the verdict, with Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Le Hai Binh saying that “Vietnam welcomes […]

Can Ramos Break the Ice in Philippines-China Relations?

By | Tháng Tám 16, 2016 | Categories: China, Philippines, South China Sea
Consistent with his campaign promise, the Philippines’ new president Rodrigo Duterte has stepped up efforts to mend ties with China, despite the latter’s flagrant rejection of the Philippines’ recent law-fare victory at The Hague. Duterte has deputized no less than former president Fidel Ramos, who also dealt with Chinese maritime assertiveness in the mid-1990s, to […]

A Looming Environmental Crisis in the South China Sea

By | Tháng Tám 12, 2016 | Categories: Environment, South China Sea
Of all the “strategic” challenges confronting the Asia-Pacific region, none is as underrated as the destruction of the marine ecosystem. The South China Sea’s status as a critical waterway draws attention away from the fact that littoral Southeast Asia is one of the world’s most diverse global marine bio-systems, hosting 76 percent of the world’s […]

Misinterpretation and Consequences of Arbitration: A Chinese Perspective

By | Tháng Tám 9, 2016 | Categories: Arbitration, East China Sea, South China Sea
When the tribunal deciding the South China Sea arbitration case brought by the Philippines against China issued its award on July 12, the international media seemed impressed by the landslide decision in favor of the Philippines on almost all of its claims. Many reported that the ruling was a rebuke of China’s sovereignty claims, but […]