What Will It Take to Keep China From Behaving Badly in the South China Sea?
Beijing was denied its maritime claims to the contested waters, but will The Hague’s ruling really make a difference?
In this week’s episode of The E.R., FP’s David Rothkopf, Seyward Darby, Rosa Brooks, and Kori Schake debate the recent ruling from the International Court of Justice regarding China’s claims of sovereignty in the South China Sea. The panel starts with the first, most salient question: What does this judgment actually mean when it comes to China’s cooperation? Yes, the committee at The Hague holds significant authority, but is its ruling really enforceable? The panel has a spirited discussion on whether or not this will change China’s behavior in the South China Sea or if Beijing will act only in its national interests, as the United States and Russia have done before, when it comes to the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea.
In this week’s episode of The E.R., FP’s David Rothkopf, Seyward Darby, Rosa Brooks, and Kori Schake debate the recent ruling from the International Court of Justice regarding China’s claims of sovereignty in the South China Sea. The panel starts with the first, most salient question: What does this judgment actually mean when it comes to China’s cooperation? Yes, the committee at The Hague holds significant authority, but is its ruling really enforceable? The panel has a spirited discussion on whether or not this will change China’s behavior in the South China Sea or if Beijing will act only in its national interests, as the United States and Russia have done before, when it comes to the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea.
With the upcoming U.S. presidential elections, the panel then turns to what the Chinese think about the campaign so far and which of the two candidates they would like to see as the next U.S. president. Why is it that so many people in China feel that having a Republican in office will serve their country better in terms of trade and economics? And why does Donald Trump’s wealth seem to matter? And, finally, the panel looks at how the future U.S. president might redefine America’s role in the Asia-Pacific region.
Seyward Darby is the deputy editor for the print magazine at FP. Follow her on Twitter at: @seywarddarby.
Rosa Brooks is a senior fellow at the New America Foundation and teaches international law, national security, and constitutional law at Georgetown University. Follow her on Twitter at: @brooks_rosa.
Kori Schake is a research fellow at the Hoover Institution, where she focuses on military history, and a former foreign-policy advisor to Sen. John McCain. Follow her on Twitter at: @KoriSchake.
David Rothkopf is the CEO and editor of the FP Group. Follow him on Twitter at: @djrothkopf.
Subscribe to FP’s The E.R. and Global Thinkers podcasts on iTunes.
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