As tensions rise in the South China Sea, I argue in a new Lowy Institute Snapshots paper that finding solutions should be given the highest priority, with Australia well placed to play a brokering role.
in 'What's at Stake in the South China Sea', I liken the South China Sea to a 'geopolitical Bermuda triangle', where Asia's power dynamics are most concentrated and on display. Maritime tensions pit communist China and Vietnam against one another, unite usual enemies China and Taiwan, and draw the US into partnership with Vietnam. I've explained the basis of my arguments and findings in a short video:
This new research paper complements earlier work by Lowy Institute experts, including the 2011 report 'Crisis and Confidence', which warned of the risks of war in the South China Sea, and a recent speech delivered by Rory Medcalf at the 2012 South China Sea conference at CSIS in Washington, DC.
