Crowded Waters in the South China Sea
The South China Sea ranks high on any list of the world’s geopolitical hotspots. But though the region has been volatile for centuries, the last two decades have witnessed a subtle shift in the underlying drivers of conflict.
Over at The National Interest, I've written an article examining a significant change in the contours of the dispute.
Published by The Lawfare Institute
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The South China Sea ranks high on any list of the world’s geopolitical hotspots. But though the region has been volatile for centuries, the last two decades have witnessed a subtle shift in the underlying drivers of conflict.
Over at The National Interest, I've written an article examining a significant change in the contours of the dispute. I argue that
[i]n the past, violence in the South China Sea was orchestrated from capitals far away. Today, though, a confrontation is far more likely to erupt unexpectedly on the frontlines, and these frontlines are multiplying across the breadth of the Sea. More than ever before, fishermen and coast guards from different states are motivated to venture deep into the heart of disputed areas. There, they are increasingly likely to bump prows with either foreign competitors or antagonistic coast guards. The outcome in either case could be disastrous.
If you're interest in understanding the scope of this new driver of conflict, take a look!
Sean A. Mirski practices a combination of foreign-relations, international, and appellate law at Arnold & Porter in Washington, DC. He is also a Visiting Scholar at the Hoover Institution. He clerked for Justice Samuel A. Alito, Jr., on the United States Supreme Court, and for then-Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh on the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. He also served as Special Counsel to the General Counsel of the U.S. Department of Defense. He is the author of We May Dominate the World: Ambition, Anxiety, and the Rise of the American Colossus, which Kirkus selected as one of the 100 Best Non-Fiction Books of 2023.
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