Avoiding the False China-U.S. Narrative in the South China Sea

• Published in: American journal of Chinese studies Vol. 23; pp. 135 - 144
• Main Author: Poling, Gregory B.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: American Association for Chinese Studies 01-07-2016
• Subjects: International disputes; International law; Military defense; Military operations; Reefs; Sea water; Seas; Territorial disputes; Territorial waters; United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
• ISSN: 2166-0042

The South China Sea disputes are ultimately about the way the maritime realm will be governed in the twenty-first century—either according to the strictures of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and customary international law, as most nations around the world want, or via a return to might-makes-right geopolitics, as favored by China. The United States, Australia, Japan, the European Union, and others have weighed in on the side of Southeast Asian claimants who are being bullied by China, demanding that the disputed be settled peacefully and in accordance with international law. These states recognize that in the long-run, only a decision by Beijing to alter its behavior and bring its maritime claims in-line with international law will allow a peaceful resolution of the disputes. As such, this coalition of like-minded nations is engaged in what could be a decades long campaign to criticize and cajole Beijing—publicizing and challenging the excessiveness of its claims while trying to highlight the value of supporting rather than challenging the international system. In order to deflect criticism and blunt these efforts, Beijing has developed a counter-narrative and is actively peddling it abroad. In this narrative, China is the victim of a vicious U.S. policy of containment, one in which puppet states like the Philippines and Japan are eager to take part. Ultimately, the success of the international campaign to convince Beijing to change course could depend in large part on whether, and to what degree, this counter-narrative can be dispelled.