Publication

This commentary explains the difficult position Southeast Asian states find themselves in over the territorial disputes in the South China Sea. Indeed, they’re caught between China's deliberate reclamation works in disputed waters and America's insistence on being able to conduct Freedom of Navigation Operations (FONOPs) where appropriate. The text's author ultimately argues that although many Southeast Asian countries support US FONOPs, they have remained quiet on the matter because of their close commercial ties with China. He therefore suggests that the best option might be for the US to conduct consistent, regular, but quiet FONOPs and thus avoid the premature raising of political stakes over the issue.