Research for South China Sea

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CNA Maritime Asia Project: Workshop Two: Naval Developments in Asia
August 31, 2012

On August 9, 2012, CNA hosted a workshop examining trends in Naval developments in Asia. As the PLA Navy demonstrates genuine competence and professionalism on distant sea operations, despite being oriented to peacetime missions, this is, ironically, raising concerns among littoral states of the Indo-Pacific over the security implications of a PLA navy that is becoming more expeditionary. Clearly the introduction of modern amphibious ships, and, shortly, an aircraft carrier force, provides the PLAN with a credible power-projection capability. This emerging capability is, in turn, creating a demand by littoral states for area-denial capabilities such as submarines and land-based aircraft with anti-ship cruise missiles. This workshop explored this interaction.

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The Security Environment in Southeast Asia and Australia, 1995- 2010
March 1, 1996
The Commander, Seventh Fleet, asked CNA to assess the security environment of the Asia-Pacific Region (APR) between now and 2010. This research memorandum focuses on the most probable trends relating to Southeast Asia and Australia during this period. It discusses a few countries and issues at somewhat disproportionate length where circumstances appeared to warrant it - Vietnam because of its long isolation, Australia because of its long alliance relationship with the United States, and South China Sea territorial claims because of the complexity of the issues.
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Maritime Economic Interests & the Sea Lines of Communication Through the South China Sea: The Value of Trade in Southeast Asia
March 1, 1996
The U.S. Navy has long been assigned the mission of helping to protect the Sea Lines of Communication (SLOCs) of Southeast Asia. During the Cold War, the mission was viewed in strategic military terms: the U.S. needed to be able to move military supplies through the region in crises, and deny the SLOCs to the Soviets. Now that the Soviet threat has diminished, what national economic interests are at stake? In early 1995, Secretary of State Christopher issued a warning to the nations quarreling over the Spratly Islands. The U.S. does not take sides in this dispute, but will not accept the disruption of trade passing through the South China Sea. This study shows that the American position is based on direct national economic interest, as well as quasi-altruistic concern for the welfare of other nations.
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