ASSESSMENTS

The Limits of Soft Power in the South China Sea

Nov 18, 2015 | 09:15 GMT

Chinese President Xi Jinping (L) and Vietnam Communist Party Secretary General Nguyen Phu Trong raise a toast after witnessing a signing ceremony of a dozen of bilateral agreements following their official talks in Hanoi on Nov. 5.

A year and a half since China began rapidly building and militarizing artificial islands in the contested, resource-rich waters of the South China Sea, the states most threatened by Chinese expansion are looking for ways to push back more forcefully. But a series of upcoming summits and associated conferences in Southeast Asia will illustrate two key dynamics still playing to China's favor: the widespread reliance on Chinese investment by states in the region and the divides inherent to Southeast Asia that will continue to prevent multilateral regional alliances from unifying against China....

Keep Reading

Register to read three free articles

Proceed to sign up

Register Now

Already have an account?

Sign In