South China Sea

Christopher L. Daniels is a professor of political science at Florida A&M University with an appointment to its Center for Global Security and International Affairs. He was a professor at Georgetown University and is the author of Somali Piracy and Terrorism in the Horn of Africa (Scarecrow Press, 2012).

Daniels provides a straightforward, accessible primer to the potentially most explosive area in Asia–the South China Sea. Seven countries (China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, and Brunei) put forth competing claims to all or to part of the sea and its seabed. China, with its energy needs and a more nationalistic stance, has asserted a commanding control over the region to gain access to the oil and natural gas reserves under the sea. Daniels finds the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea outdated and ineffective in dealing with the potential conflicts in the South China Sea. While he notes the US has refrained from taking sides, he urges the US to use its influence to affect a peaceful resolution to the rising conflicts among these parties. Complete with a timeline of key events, leaders, and institutions; the texts of international treaties on the issue, maps, and an extensive bibliography. A specialized work, but one of value in light of the potential for geopolitical conflicts in the coming decade. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above.