By Sam Bateman

March 10, 2016

"Australia's 2016 Defence White Paper says a lot about the South China Sea, both directly and indirectly. It expresses concern about land reclamation and construction activities by claimants in the sea and about the possible use of artificial structures for military purpose. It also makes much of the importance of a rules-based global order to Australia's security, with a clear message that some countries are not following these rules.

While the White Paper does not name China, that's how most commentators - and China itself - have interpreted these statements. As Benjamin Schreer has claimed, the White Paper ‘reflects the reality in maritime East Asia that China has moved to re-write the rules to fit its strategic preferences and historical narratives'. But what rules are we talking about?"

Read more:
http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2016/03/10/australias-flawed-position-on-the-south-china-sea/

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