UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and the South China Sea

Shicun Wu, is president and senior research fellow at the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, and deputy director of China Center for Collaborative Studies of the South China Sea, Nanjing University. Mark J. Valencia is an internationally known maritime policy analyst, political commentator and consultant focused on Asia. Most recently he was a research associate with the National Asia Research Program. Previously he was a visiting senior fellow at the Maritime Institute of Malaysia and a visiting senior scholar at Japan’s Ocean Policy Research Foundation. He has a PhD in Oceanography from the University of Hawaii. Nong Hong is Executive Director of the Institute for China-America Studies (Washington D.C.), and also a research fellow with the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, and China Institute, University of Alberta. Dr Hong received her PhD of interdisciplinary study of international law and international relations from the University of Alberta, Canada and held a Postdoctoral Fellowship in the University’s China Institute.

’The South China Sea has long been an area of tension primarily because of the overlapping sovereignty claims and consequent actions by the regional States over the small rocks and other maritime features that dot the area. In addition, the South China Sea has been the locale of numerous incidents between China and the United States that have arisen as a result of their differing views of the operational meaning of freedom of the seas legal principle. This collection of essays, from a diverse set of authors, provides keen insights into the legal and political background of these continuing issues.’ Ted L. McDorman, University of Victoria, Canada ’This book is a valuable set of essays on the very important issues raised concerning the rights of various States to islands, reefs, waters, and resources in the South China Sea. It is timely, informative, and presents a variety of points of view, especially those of highly capable Chinese scholars. A must read for those interested in figuring out the proper role of Law of the Sea tribunals.’ Abraham D. Sofaer, Stanford University, USA

• UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and the South China Sea