Managing potential conflicts in the South China Sea

Abstract

Since 1990 a series of informal meetings on the South China Sea has been sponsored by Canada and Indonesia. Rather than adopting an academic approach to the South China Sea, the meetings are attended by government officials from the region in their private capacities. The project proceeds on the assumption that resolution of territorial and jurisdictional disputes in the region is not possible without first addressing cooperation on other levels such as navigation and the environment. This paper examines progress made on these and other issues during 1993, and prospects for the future.