Philippines, China and the South China Sea

For years China has claimed historical rights in the South China Sea, enforcing this by establishing the expansive ‘nine-dash line’ encompassing around 90% of the sea and challenging the maritime claims of neighbouring states in Southeast Asia. The Philippines in particular has contested China’s claims, concerned about the implications for national security, sovereignty, sovereign rights, and maritime jurisdiction. What can the Philippines and other nations in do to support the maritime rules-based order? How can bodies like ASEAN and the United Nations assist in these areas? What kind of deterrence and diplomacy might help manage or resolve these disputes? Panel: Professor Amparo Pamela Fabe (National Police College and Philippine Public Safety College) Assoc. Professor Lowell Bautista ( School of Law, Western Sydney University) Dr Bich Tran (Senior Fellow, Verve Research, Adjunct Fellow, Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)) Professor Bec Strating (Director, La Trobe Asia) (Chair)