The South China Sea Dispute: Navigating Diplomatic and Strategic Tensions.

• Author: Mossop, Joanna

THE SOUTH CHINA SEA DISPUTE: Navigating Diplomatic and Strategic Tensions

Editors: Ian Storey and Lin Cheng-yi

Published by: ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, Singapore, 2016, 307pp, US$29.90.

This book on the South China Sea dispute has been released at a moment of high tension in the region. The decision of the arbitral tribunal in the Philippines v China case was highly critical of China's policies, including the 9-dash line and its actions around the features in the Spratly Islands. China has rejected the validity of the tribunal and said that it will not comply with the decision. This book has, therefore, emerged at a time when much is being written on the South China Sea dispute. It should be immediately noted that it does not address the legal dispute between the Philippines and China. It is the result of a workshop held in 2012 by the Center for Asia-Pacific Area Studies of Academia Sinica and the East--West Center in Hawaii. The chapters were updated prior to publication, but the latest references are to some events in 2015, and most chapters are only updated to late 2014. Therefore, readers should not expect in-depth discussion of the most recent developments in the dispute.

Although the book is a few years out of date, it is a valuable contribution to the literature. It is a useful overview of the political complexities of the dispute. Some common themes emerge from the contributions. Key among these is China's view of itself as the natural regional leader, and that the South China Sea is closely linked to China through historic and cultural ties. The rivalry and distrust between China and the United States is mentioned frequently, as is the question of how much influence the United States has, or seeks to have, with South-east Asian states that may be looking to it to counter China's rising power. Another interesting theme is the role that the United Nations Law of the Sea Convention has played in the dispute. On the one hand, UNCLOS expanded the control that coastal states have over resources, causing the maritime disputes to have greater importance. On the other, the submissions of claimants to the South China Sea to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf in 2009 prompted China to circulate the map showing the 9-dash line, which was the turning point for increased tensions in the region.

As with all edited volumes, some chapters are stronger than others, but the book manages to bring together contributions from a...