The role of ASEAN on the Territorial Dispute in the South China Sea

Abstract

The South China Sea (SCS) is known for its significant strategic and economic role in the Indo-Pacific. The South China Sea is bordered by Brunei, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan and Vietnam. It is one of the most important commercial trade routes in the region. However, it is simultaneously becoming the source of tension between China and other South East Asian nations for territorial control. In recent years, China has been asserting greater control, and ASEAN has sought to resolve maritime issues in the region. As the SCS is surrounded by mostly ASEAN member countries, problems arise when each country, including China, lays claim to the land and sea features in the SCS, driven mostly by strategic interests. Being members of ASEAN, where member countries need to resolve regional issues to maintain regional stability, ASEAN members with a claim in the SCS have their own national interests that make conflict resolutions complicated. At the 34th ASEAN Summit (June 2019), all member states agreed to adopt the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific. The document emphasized ASEAN’s role to strengthen regional commitment by respecting international law, especially the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Maritime cooperation is seen as a peaceful settlement to resolve potential disputes.