
A Tumultuous 2016 In The South China Sea
By Gregory Poling (@GregPoling), Fellow, Chair for Southeast Asia Studies (@SoutheastAsiaDC), CSIS
February 18, 2016
This promises to be a landmark year for the claimant countries and other interested parties in the South China Sea disputes. Developments that have been underway for several years, especially China’s island-building campaign in the Spratlys and Manila’s arbitration case against Beijing, will come to fruition. These and other developments will draw outside players, including the United States, Japan, Australia, and India, into greater involvement. Meanwhile a significant increase in Chinese forces and capabilities will lead to more frequent run-ins with its neighbors.