Publication

This article focuses on the dialogue at the 2015 Shangri La summit which dealt with China’s island-building activities in contested areas of the South China Sea as well as the role of the US in the region. The author argues that during the summit, the US refuted claims that it is economically incapable of protecting its Asian allies and that it reasserted its commitment to protect the freedom of navigation in the region. She then notes Japan's strong argument that the South China Sea issue threatens peace and stability, before discussing how China’s representative did not perform well at the summit and was evasive in answering questions over the South China Sea.