Asia, the Law of the Sea and international relations

Abstract

The end of the Cold War and doubts about the longevity of the US security commitment in East Asia have raised the potentialfor both new conflict and new cooperation in the region. Given the salience of maritime issues in relations among the states of the region, the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea,flnalized in 1982 and inforce since 1994, is of considerable potential significance infostering an orderly approach to areas of tension and avoiding open conflict, especially since China ratified the Convention inJuly 1996. However, as the United States and Russia remain among the non-rat fiers, many uncertainties remain as to its effect and utility in the East Asian arena. This article examines the current state of relations among the main national players in the region and the disputes outstanding among them, and assesses the potentialfor both conflict and cooperation.