This report first discusses what is at stake in the East and South China Seas, and the Gulf of Thailand. Second, it assesses both positive and negative trends in recent years, and the benefits afforded by these maritime spaces. Third, it assesses the potential ways claimant countries and other stakeholders could move forward. Finally, it recommends viable policies that may contribute to a more stable maritime regime, and to better economic prospects of the region.
1. Sea land Security; Oil, Gas, Alternative Ocean Energy Resources, Biota or Living Resources....
2. 2.a. Positive trends include incremental progress in defining maritime boundaries, a clearer approach to maritime delimitation, emerging trends on the treatment of islands,joint maritime development arrangements, states making their positions clearer, workshops process, increased dialogues between experts, internationalization of the disputes.
2.b. Negative trends are increasing tension over resource scarcity, intractable disputes, growing complexity in claims, ASEAN and China's failure to implement the DoC, the South China Sea dispute in the context of Sino-US relations, the downward trends in Sino-Japanese relations, Thai-Cambodia tensions.
3. 3.1. Moving Forward: useful mechanisms for states to implement:
3.1.a. Proper valuation of the resources
3.1.b. Including Taiwan in the dispute resolution discussion
3.1.c. More resources for the workshop processes
3.1.d. Implementation of the confidence-building measures in the DoC (telephone hotlines, advanced nitifications of military exercises, combating transnational threats, search, and rescue training, incidents at sea agreement, transparency, code of conduct...)
3.2. Overcoming Uncertainties and Delivering Benefits: the value of maritime dispute resolution:
3.2.a Toward jurisdictional certainty
3.2.b Enhanced environmental and food security
3.2.c Reduced risk of confrontations at sea
3.2.d Improved regional relationships
Conclusion:
Multilateral solutions offer best chances to move forward. Harness political will and courage to look past differences and focus on opportunities --> critically important. Enhance norms of cooperation and build trusts. Establish foundations for long-term solutions.
Source:
Special Report #30 (July 2011)from the National Bureau of Asian Research
http://www.nbr.org/publications/specialreport/pdf/free/SR30_MERA.pdf
