U.S.-Asia Law Institute

Conflicts over specific rules lie at the heart of the narrative of China's island disputes with its neighbors in the East and South China Seas. But the main contest concerns the strategic waters associated with those islands. To consolidate control over this vital maritime space, China's leaders have begun to enforce "China's Law of the Sea" by building domestic legal institutions, bureaucratic organizations, and a naval and maritime law enforcement apparatus that overmatches regional challengers and imposes costs on naval powers around the globe. Dr. Kardon and Dr. Dutton will explore questions such as, will states choose to acquiesce to China's preferences? Will there be conflict? Or will states find peaceful ways to overcome China's challenge to the international maritime order? Use discount code: Y23Kardon for 30% off Dr. Kardon’s new book, China’s Law of the Sea: The New Rules of Maritime Order (Yale University Press, 2023).