For years China has claimed historical rights in the South China Sea, enforcing this by establishing the expansive ‘nine-dash line’ encompassing around 90% of the sea and challenging the maritime claims of neighbouring states in Southeast Asia.

The Philippines in particular has contested China’s claims, concerned about the implications for national security, sovereignty, sovereign rights, and maritime jurisdiction.

What can the Philippines and other nations in do to support the maritime rules-based order? How can bodies like ASEAN and the United Nations assist in these areas? What kind of deterrence and diplomacy might help manage or resolve these disputes?

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