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Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Increasing competition in the South China Sea – Need for a new game plan By Sam Bateman

RSIS Commentary No. 157/2012 dated 21 August 2012 - http://www.rsis.edu.sg/publications/commentaries.html
Increasing competition in the South China Sea –
Need for a new game plan
 By Sam Bateman       
Synopsis

Increasing competition in the South China Sea between China and the United States and others makes management regimes more difficult. A more cooperative arrangement is required to stop the situation worsening.

Commentary

INCREASING COMPETITION is evident in the South China Sea between China on the one hand, and the United States, the Philippines and Vietnam on the other. This competition makes the development of effective regimes for managing the sea and its resources more difficult.
Earlier this month, the US State Department issued a comprehensive statement on the US position in the South China Sea. Unsurprisingly, China responded shortly afterwards with a robust statement strongly condemning the US position.

This exchange is yet another demonstration of the game of “tit for tat” in the South China Sea - one player replies to another player’s action and the other player responds in turn. Unless the players demonstrate some common interest and mutual understanding, the game can spiral out of control, leading to a “lose-lose” outcome.

None of this is helpful for regional stability, or for the development of effective regimes for managing the sea and its resources. These regimes are becoming even more necessary as competition for marine resources increases, shipping traffic grows, and there is further degradation of sensitive marine habitats.

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