Security and Cooperation in the South China Sea

Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences

Москва, 2014, 304 p.

The book includes the proceedings of International Conference, held in Oc-tober 18, 2013 in Moscow at the Institute of Oriental Studies, RAS. Profes-sor, Director of the Institute of Oriental Studies (RAS) V.V. Naumkin in his speech observed the aims and problems discussed at the Conference which is quoted below. “Our conference is devoted to one of the pressing security problems of the Asia-Pacific Region – the situation in the basin of the South China Sea. We are not politicians but academics and our task is to juxtapose the viewpoints of experts representing diverse national academic schools on this burning problem of world policy, research into which is conducted within the framework of a scientific field of vital importance to our time – maritime security. Of course, various experts, even those representing one and the same country which is not a party to the conflict situation, and adhering to similar political views, still cannot be absolutely impartial in their standpoints on the problem. Nonetheless, in order to try to depoliticize our research discourse and ensure a maximally objective examination of the question, we have gathered here – besides Russian specialists on the region – experts only from countries that are not located in the basin of the South China Sea. We hope that our colleagues from the states of that zone, whose opinions we respect, will not be offended by us and derive benefit from reports of conference participants”. The problems discussed by the participants of the Conference are presented in 5 major themes: New Geopolitics in the South China Sea; The Threat of Militarization and the Arms Race Among the States Involved in Territorial Dispute; Interests and Politics of Extra-Regional Forces in the Dispute Over South China Sea; Legal Issues in the South China Sea Dispute; The Prospects of Making Peace and Stability in Southeast Asia.