Publication

This paper argues that the maritime disputes over the South China Sea are characterized by a strategic and diplomatic status quo. The author explains that China so far does not have the necessary power projection to impose naval hegemony in the South China Sea and that none of the ASEAN claimants can rely on sufficient naval power or an external military alliance to impose their claims on the Spratly Islands. The paper concludes that the South China Sea has remained primarily a political rather than a military issue thanks to China's desire to accommodate the Southeast Asian countries and the limited naval capabilities available to the different claimants.