The Rise of China's Impact on ASEAN Conference Diplomacy: A Study of Conflict in the South China Sea

Abstract

China claims the Spratly Islands and other three maritime features in the South China Sea. Four ASEAN countries, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Brunei, dispute the sovereignty of the Spratly Islands with China. The rise of China in recent years is obvious and Chinese fishing boats, patrol vessels of the maritime security agencies, and PLA navy gunboats are deployed in the South China Sea. Chinese diplomats also label the South China Sea as a core interest, on par with Taiwan and Tibet. The ASEAN members' armed forces are not well-equipped and cannot compete with the PLA navy. Therefore, they use ASEAN conference diplomacy to cope with the Chinese maritime offensive although it is difficult for ASEAN members to unify their policy toward China. This paper looks into the rise of China in South China Sea conflict and its impact on ASEAN conference diplomacy. The paper also tries to examine some prospects of ASEAN conference diplomacy under Chinese pressure.