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PacNet #22A – Conduct Unbecoming in the South China Sea?

Recent events confirm that maritime territorial disputes in the South China Sea remain an issue for East Asian
governments. Ownership of the Spratly Islands is disputed, in whole or in parts, among Brunei, China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam. In the first quarter of 2004 alone, the claimants took turns building up anxiety, raising concerns about the sustainability of the status quo and the ability of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea to ensure the claimants’ self-restraint.