Sam Bateman and the South China Sea

Bit of a blogging pause again…

But I had to draw attention to this eminently sensible piece by Sam Bateman. He concludes his analysis with some recommendations:

“The game of ‘tit for tat’ in the South China Sea benefits nobody and has to end…

“Attempts to define ‘areas of dispute’are futile. Even the search for a Code of Conduct will not succeed if it places emphasis on dispute resolution and concessions on sovereignty as confidence-building measures rather than on cooperation. Cooperation must be put back on the agenda…

“A cooperative management regime is required based on a functional approach that exploits the common interests of claimant countries. A first step would be to set up a management body for the South China Sea comprised of all bordering countries. ASEAN and China should negotiate the establishment of such a body. The US can bring the ‘carrots’ of experience in oceans management to the table rather than the ‘sticks’ of increased military engagement.”