Course overview
This course will address the competing claims made in relation to the South China Sea by countries in the Asia-Pacific region. It will principally focus on the Law of the Sea Convention and its application to the resolution of disputes with particular reference to the legal arguments invoked by China, Japan, the Philippines and Vietnam, as well as Australian and US reactions to such arguments. Dispute resolution processes as contained within the Law of the Sea Convention as well as principles of law that may be unilaterally invoked in support of claims will be canvassed. Given China's prominence in this arena there will be special attention placed on Chinese conceptions of governance (based on cultural, historical, and political attitudes) as well as general precepts of maritime strategy as a basis for developing a deeper understanding of the regional political, military and strategic dynamics. A central question in this analysis will be how to understand China's approach to its national identity as it seeks to assume a role of regional leadership and how this translates into legal arguments and claims advanced.