Partnership for Peace in the South China Sea

The peaceful resolution and stability of the South China Sea is of utmost importance to the countries of Southeast Asia. A peaceful resolution will also be the guarantee for a positive and conducive future relation between China and Southeast Asia. As such, through the project “Partnership for Regional Peace: Operationalizing ASEAN-China Strategic Partnership in Southeast Asia,” we seek to find ways and means to bridge out the differences between claimant states and open paths of cooperation through the recommendations made. Four policy recommendations on these areas were thus made: (1) Legal Principles to Promote Cooperation and Minimise Tensions in the South China Sea, (2) Confidence Building Measures, (3) Preventive Diplomacy, and (4) Crisis Management. This report is intended to serve as an input and feedback to the various governments of ASEAN member states and China, and to contribute to an everlasting solution in the South China Sea.