By Ingrid Wuerth

March 26, 2015

"At the end of last week, Senators McCain and Reed of the Senate Armed Services Committee and Senators Corker and Menendez of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee sent a letter about the South and East China Sea to Secretaries Kerry and Carter. China's recent and dramatic reclamation efforts in the South China Sea prompted the March 19, 2015 letter, which Jack Goldsmith characterized as "a strong signal to the Administration, and to China."

The purpose of the letter was to urge the Administration to develop a comprehensive strategy to address China's reclamation efforts in the area. Doing so, the letter argued, is necessary "for the international community to continue benefiting from the rules-based international order that has brought stability and prosperity to the Indo-Pacific region for the past seven decades."

So, what is the Administration's current policy with respect to the conflicting territorial and maritime claims in the South China Sea, and what does the letter suggest about how congressional leaders would like to see that policy change?"

Read more:
http://www.lawfareblog.com/2015/03/u-s-policy-on-the-south-china-sea/

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