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Title:
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Who Will Stand Up to China This Year?
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Author:
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John Hemmings
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Source:
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The National Interest
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Date:
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March 12, 2016
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Description:
- The growth of the South China Sea as a primary area of concern of the U.S.-Japan alliance, second perhaps only to the Korean nuclear threat, is one of the main trends of the past four years. The East China Sea, once a serious concern, has receded in the background as China—under Xi Jinping’s direction—has turned its attention and focus on securing Chinese pre-eminence inside the Nine-Dashed Line. This coming spring, the Philippines’ court case on the legality of this line will be decided by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague. By many accounts, and by the weaknesses inherent in China’s claims, the finding is likely to be in Manila’s favor.
