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Open QuestionsWhy there’s no quick fix in the South China Sea disputes, and war ‘cannot be ruled out’
- An expert on the contested waterway, Wu Shicun calls for rival claimants to work together to demilitarise – and says Beijing should take the lead
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Wu Shicun founded the state-funded National Institute for South China Sea Studies. He has spent years researching the South China Sea – its history and geography as well as the regional disputes over this strategic waterway. This interview first appeared in SCMP Plus. For other interviews in the Open Questions series, click here.
How do you assess the current situation in the South China Sea?
First, the US-led militarisation in the South China Sea is intensifying. Over the years, multilateral security mechanisms led by the US have taken shape. And after the US, the Philippines, Japan and Australia held military drills in these disputed waters in April for the first time, the South China Sea issue has spilled over from what was previously the political-diplomatic realm to the military-security realm.
Secondly, rival claimants have ramped up their unilateral behaviour in the disputed waters. Namely, the Philippines, Vietnam and Malaysia who are all eager to reinforce their presence in contested waters after the US abandoned neutrality in the South China Sea dispute and as the window narrows for negotiations on a code of conduct.
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