Cruising the South China Sea – Stormy Weather Ahead?

China’s aggressive build-up of military facilities and its forceful actions to defend   fishing and mineral rights in the South China Sea has unnerved its neighbors and put the U.S. military on alert. Despite China’s argument that, based on historic grounds, the South China Sea is Chinese sovereign territory, an independent arbitral tribunal established under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) published a clear and binding ruling denying China’s claim.  Yet China has ignored this verdict and continues to strengthen its control over the South China Sea.

Our panelists, experts in China’s maritime strategy, will discuss and debate China’s occupation of the South China Sea and its future implications. Our moderator, an expert in security and legal issues, will guide the panelists through a conversation about the key issues surrounding the South China Sea, which keep diplomats and military leaders awake at night.

Moderator

Nelson Dong is a  partner in Dorsey’s Corporate group, Chair of the National Security Law practice and co-Chair of the Asia-Pacific practice, Nelson has substantial experience in counseling e-commerce, semiconductor, electronics, computer hardware and software, and biomedical and biotechnology companies with special expertise in domestic and international technology licensing, outsourcing and manufacturing in Asia and U.S. export control matters. Prior to joining Dorsey Nelson Serve as an Assistant U.S Attorney in Boston and worked as a White House Fellow.

Panelists

Tabitha Grace Mallory is Founder and CEO of the consulting firm China Ocean Institute and Affiliate Professor of the University of Washington Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies. Dr. Mallory specializes in Chinese foreign and environmental policy. She conducts research on China and global ocean governance and has published work on China’s fisheries and oceans policy. She previously served as a postdoctoral research fellow in the Princeton–Harvard China and the World Program. Dr. Mallory holds a Ph.D. (with distinction) in international relations from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). She is currently a fellow in the National Committee on U.S.–China Relations Public Intellectuals Program.

Gregory B. Poling is a senior fellow for Southeast Asia and director of the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative at CSIS. He oversees research on U.S. foreign policy in the Asia Pacific, with a particular focus on the maritime domain and the countries of Southeast Asia. His research interests include the South China Sea disputes, democratization in Southeast Asia, and Asian multilateralism. Mr. Poling’s writings have been featured in Foreign Affairs, the Wall Street Journal, Nikkei Asian Review, and Foreign Policy, among others. He is the author or coauthor of multiple works, including The Thickening Web of Asian Security Cooperation  (RAND Corporation, 2019), Building a More Robust U.S.-Philippines Alliance (CSIS, August 2015), and A New Era in U.S.-Vietnam Relations (CSIS, June 2014).

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