Colonel Andy M Taufik, APCSS ASC 12-2

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The China’s Foreign Policy on The South China Sea Region

and It’s Implication on Stabilization of The South East Asian Countries

Colonel Andy M Taufik, Indonesian AF ASC 12-2 Fellow Project Asia Pacific Center for Security Studies Hawaii October, 2012 Disclaimer: The views expressed in this course paper are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of Indonesian Armed Forces, the Ministry of Defense and Indonesian Government.

Colonel Andy M Taufik, APCSS ASC 12-2

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The China’s Foreign Policy on The South China Sea Region

and It’s Implication on Stabilization of The South East Asian Countries

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

China‘s power is on the rise. It is generally agreed that in the post ‗Cold-

War‘, China has become the dominant power in the South China Sea region, and

from this has arisen the most difficult questions for security in the South East

Asian Region. This paper will examine the circumstances surrounding the People

Republic of China‘s (PRC) foreign policy in the South East Asian Region and it‘s

implication on the stability of The South East Asian Countries. Does China‘s

Foreign Policy towards this region make international politics and the region more

dangerous? Should China‘s economic growth and its military modernization

always be perceived as a threat? How should the countries in this region deal

with the reality of the increasing of China‘s power?

My argument in this essay will be that, despite China‘s growing

power will escalate the frequency and intensity of international conflict, this

should not be interpreted as a threat by the region. As a solution, I suggest ways

to manage such conflict in the South East Asia Region, with focus on ASEAN plus

one.

Because of the limit of time, this paper will not examine whole issues

regarding The China‘s Foreign Policy on The South China Sea Region. My

papers will stick only to ASEAN as the primary driving force in its relation and

cooperation with China such as the ASEAN plus One.

BACKGROUND :

The Historical Background of China Foreign Policy

The Chinese emperor had been recorded in history since 2100 B.C. when

it was governed by the dynasty, Yu or Xia. Since then, the Chinese emperors

Colonel Andy M Taufik, APCSS ASC 12-2

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have changed for centuries until the last dynasty Manchu Qing collapsed in 1911.1

The most important dynasty in Chinese history was the Manchu Qing Dynasty

(1644-1911), when China came into contact with many Western imperialists. The

first Western country capable of reaching China by sea was Portugal. Other than

that, the other countries who made their way to Asia were the Dutch, British,

Spanish and French.2

After the collapse of the Manchu Qing dynasty in 1911, China set itself up

as a republic. In 1949, China fragmented into the People‘s Republic of China

(PRC/communist) on the mainland and the Republic of China (nationalists)

retreated to Taiwan.

After Mao‘s death in 1976, Deng Xiaoping led the CCP. It was not until two

years later that Deng was able to fully consolidate his power. Deng and his

colleague allowed a free-market economy and opened China to Western

investment and cultural influences. In the Post Cold War, Under Jiang Zemin,

PRC foreign policy became more pragmatic. Jiang Zemin also continued to

modernize its military. Nowadays Hu Jintao leads the General Secretary of CCP,

and in 2005 issued a white paper defining the China's peaceful development

strategy. The five goals of their Peaceful Development Road are3 :

1. Peaceful Development Is the Inevitable Way for China's Modernization.

2. Promoting World Peace and Development with China's Own Growth. 3. Developing by Relying on Its Own Strength, Reform and Innovation. 4. Seeking Mutual Benefit and Common Development with Other

Countries.

5. Building a Harmonious World of Sustained Peace and Common Prosperity.

Nevertheless, ‗China‘s neighbors do not see these as an outright

guarantee of well-being and stability over the long run. China‘s claim over the

South China‘s Sea waters and its ambitions in the region are viewed by the

region‘s states as a menace.

1 Wikipedia, History of China, [Online], http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_China#Ancient_era accessed 10-22-2012.

2 The Chaos Group, Emergence Of Modern China, [Online],

http://www.chaos.umd.edu/history/modern.html, accessed 10-22-2012. 3 China's National Online News Service, White Paper on Peaceful Development Road Published,

[Online], http://www.china.org.cn/english/2005/Dec/152669.htm accessed 10/12/2012.

Colonel Andy M Taufik, APCSS ASC 12-2

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The end of the Cold War in the early 1990‘s has left a vacuum of power in

the South East Asia region. The downfall of the Soviet Union in 1991 and its

retreat from Cam Ranh Bay in Vietnam and the closing of the United State‘s

military bases in the Philippines in 1991 discontinued the superpowers influence

in the region. As a result, these withdrawals have made the governments in this

region and the only one super power, the United States, anxious towards China‘s

role as a new super power. China‘s foreign policy and the new role of China‘s

military power in the South China Sea region have escalated the tensions in the

region. This in turn has influenced the countries within the South East Asian

Countries and has generally led to feelings of instability and insecurity.

China Military Power in the South China Sea

There is no doubt that China‘s military has been developing as fast as the

improvement of their economy. On 04 March 2010 Beijing published China's

2010 defense budget which totalled 532.115 billion Yuan (about $77.9 billion).

Chinese defense spending had increased by an average of 12.9% annually since

1989 when Beijing launched a determined army modernization program.4 Until

now, China has been attempting to increase the armed forces capability by

introducing all kinds of modern technology in order to develop their military

capabilities. According to Jane‘s Sentinel Security Assessment, China's defence

expenditure is forecast to increase by 15.5 per cent each year to 2015. This

growth is a continuation of the double-digit defence expenditure growth which

averaged 11.8 per cent between 2000 – 2009.5

ANALYSIS:

Impact of China’s Foreign Policy on Regional Security

The major function of the People‘s Liberation Army (PLA) is to safeguard

China‘s territory and to make sure the country safety. To achieve this goal, China

does not ignore the principle of promoting good neighborhood and non-

4 Global Security.org, ―China's Defense Budget‖, [Online],http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/china/budget.htm accessed 10-25-2012.

5 Jane's Sentinel Security Assessment, Defence Budget Overview, [Online], https://janes.ihs.com/CustomPages/Janes/DisplayPage.aspx?DocType=Reference&ItemId=+++1303142 accessed 10-26-2012

Colonel Andy M Taufik, APCSS ASC 12-2

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interference in the affairs of

another country. But, Chinese

rulers and military leaders

commonly decry the role of

persuasion in order to

maintain their security. This

argument derives from

China‘s put almost all of the

South China Sea waters into

their territory.6 The map was

created in 1947 by the

Kuomintang regime of

mainland China‘s former

Republic of China.

Accordingly, refutations were

delivered immediately by

Vietnam and Malaysia as it

were assumed that the line

was meant to signify China‘s

sovereign claim over virtually 80% of the South China Sea.7 Furthermore, In early

1999, Chinese completed the construction on Mischief Reef to establish military

facilities in the region.8 These events persuaded some South China Sea coastal

governments to re-calculate the strategic and national security implications for

them. China‘s sovereignty claims over the South China Sea have serious

implication for stabilization for the South East Asia countries. This is a challenge

for the states in the region.

The Strategic importance of South China Sea

The South China Sea is an area of water of vast importance to many countries

which the major stake holders are its littoral countries; China, Vietnam, Taiwan,

6 Andrew H. Ring, (2012), ―A U.S. South China Sea Perspective: Just Over the Horizon‖,

Weatherhead Center for International Affairs Harvard University, July 4 012. 7 Ibid.

8 BBC News, ―Trouble brews on Mischief Reef‖, (online), http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-

pacific/260762.stm accessed 10-29-2012

China‘s ―Nine-Dash‖ Line Map of South China Sea

Claims (Ocean Development & International Law,

34:287–295, 2003). Cited from Andrew H. Ring

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Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Its position is very important

because huge quantities of a variety of merchandises including oil from the Middle

East are transported pass through the Malacca Strait, South China Sea and

traveling either from the busiest shipping ports in the world — Shanghai,

Singapore, Hong Kong, Guangzhou — to all over the world. At a rough estimate,

a total of around US$1.2 trillion (in U.S.) annually trade.9 According to Ian Storey,

The People‘s Republic of China (PRC) has three key interests in the South China

Sea; firstly, to assert what it sees as its historic rights, secondly to secure access

to maritime resources, principally fish, oil, gas and undersea minerals and the last

to ensure that its sea lines of communication (SLOCs) are secure.10

The South China Sea Disputes and Regional Security

China has some disputes throughout the South East Asian countries in the

South China Sea with the Philippines, Brunei, Vietnam, Malaysia, the and Taiwan.

These have caused sporadic armed conflicts, including a 1979 ground invasion of

Vietnam. In the South China Sea, China fought Vietnamese forces in the Paracel

Islands in 1974 and near Fiery Cross Reef in 1988. In 1995, China occupied

Mischief Reef, also in the Spratly Islands, amid protest from the Philippines.11 A

dispute over the sovereignty of the Spratlys arose when the United Kingdom

claimed them as part of the British Empire in 1864. Spratly is the name of the

captain of the British private whaler, which had visited the islands in nineteenth

century.12 ‗China‘s claim is, in part, historical and originates with the Han Dynasty

(206 B.C. to 220 A.D.) and the use of the South China Sea by Chinese fishermen

since then, and the first official claim by China dates from an 1887 treaty with

France dividing the Gulf of Tonkin at 10803‘E‘.13

Nowadays, several states have a claim over the South China Sea islands.

China, Taiwan, and Vietnam claim sovereignty over the Paracel Islands. Taiwan

9 Andrew H. Ring, A U.S. South China Sea Perspective: Just Over the Horizon, Weatherhead

Center for International Affairs Harvard University, July 4, 2012. 10

Ian Storey, (2012), ―China‘s Bilateral and Multilateral Diplomacy in the South China Sea,‖ in Cooperation from Strength : The United States, China and the South China Sea, Center for The American Century, January 2012.

11 The US DoD, ANNUAL REPORT TO CONGRESS, Military and Security Developments

Involving the People‘s Republic of China, 2011. 12

Catley, B, Keliat, M., (1997), Spratleys: The Dispute in the South China Sea, Ashgate Publishing Limited, Hants, England, p-25.

13 Snyder, S., Glosserman, B. and Cossa, R.A., (2001), Confidence Building Measures in the

South China Sea, Pacific Forum CSIS, Honolulu, Hawaii, p-25.

Colonel Andy M Taufik, APCSS ASC 12-2

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and China claim Pratas Island and the Macclesfield Bank. China, Taiwan and

Vietnam claim the whole archipelago of the Spratlys, while the Philippines,

Malaysia and Brunei claim sovereignty over part of the Spratlys. However, the

Chinese Foreign Ministry stated that in fact, ‗China has never interfered with the

freedom of passage of foreign vessels and aircraft in this area, nor will it ever do

so in the future‘ (Chinese Foreign Ministry, 2000).14

However, some of China‘s neighbours have questioned Beijing‘s long-term

commitment to peacefully and cooperatively resolve the remainder of its disputes.

PLA Navy assets have repeatedly circum navigated the South China Sea since

2005, and civilian enforcement ships, sometimes supported by the PLA Navy,

have occasionally harassed foreign vessels. In 2011, the Philippines reported

seven incidents involving Chinese harassment.15 According to Ernest Bower,

director of the Southeast Asia Program at the CSIS, there have been 23 incidents

in the region over the last three years (2008-2011).16

However, According to Swaine, The Chinese imperial historical

background, which used power to establish its hegemony, should not be assumed

as typical of modern China. No one country starts a war only because it wants to

fight. Whatever the reason that a country is involved in a war, it will always have

some rationalizations for its conduct. One of them for China was to protect the

Chinese heartland through border defence and control over a large and long-

standing strategic periphery whose outer geographic limits remained relatively

constant over time.17

ASEAN – China Relationship

Regarding to China‘s Foreign Policy and its relation to the South East Asia

region, the State Councilor of the People's Republic of China (de facto national

security advisor), H. E. Dai Bingguo at 2010 in Jakarta addressed that; ―China

14

People's Republic of China, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, (2001), ―Basic Stance and Policy of the Chinese Government in Solving the South China Sea Issue‖, [Online], http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/topics/3754/t19230.htm, (Accessed 10/15/2012).

15 Buszynski Leszek, 2012, ―The South China Sea: Oil, Maritime Claims, and U.S.- China

Strategic Rivalry‖, The Washington Quarterly, p.142, SPRING 2012. pp. 139_156, [Online], http://csis.org/files/publication/twq12springbuszynski.pdf (accessed 10/19/2012).

16 Ernest Bower, cited in Steve Hargreaves, ―Tensions Heat Up Over Oil, Gas in South China

Sea,‖ CNN, 26 April, 2012, [Online], http://money.cnn.com/2012/04/24/news/economy/south-china-sea/index.htm (accessed 10-28-2012)

17 Swaine, Michael D and Ashley J. Tellis, (2000), Interpreting China’s Grand Strategy Past,

Present and Future, RAND, Santa Monica, p.22.

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have stepped into the second decade of the 21st century and it will be an even

brighter decade full of fresh progress for Indonesia, ASEAN, Asia and beyond.

Ties between China and Indonesia and between China and ASEAN will grow

closer and it (relationship) could become the light of Asia's rise on the horizon.‖18

Moreover, Bingguo said that China was not seeking ‗‗hegemony‖, did not want to

‗‗eject the U.S. from Asia‖, and that the South China Sea would be left for future

generations to resolve.19 Nevertheless, the US and China‘s neighbors do not see

these as an outright guarantee of well-being and stability over the long run.

China‘s claim over the South China‘s Sea waters and its ambitions in the region

are still viewed by the region‘s states as a menace.

ASSESSMENT:

Solution and Future Prospect for the South China Sea Region

ASEAN plus One

In response to the situation of the South China Sea, Indonesia as the

founding member state of ASEAN, has taken the initiative as a mediator to

resolve South China Sea issues through the ASEAN forum. This forum has called

for the peaceful mediation of claims over the South China Sea. Several working

groups have been held between ASEAN members and both China and Taiwan on

related issues. Indonesia hosted the first of these workshops in 1990. As results

of official negotiations between the PRC and ASEAN, a ‗Code of Conduct‘ to

reduce military actions has been established, but serious differences still remain.

According to ministry of Foreign Affairs of PRC (2001), in solving the South China

Sea problem, ―The Chinese Government has always stood for negotiated

settlement of international disputes through peaceful means‖.20 Accordingly, In

2002, The Governments of the Member States of ASEAN and the Government of

18

Dai Bingguo, ‗‗Embrace New Opportunities for China-ASEAN Cooperation,‘‘ January 22, 2010, [Online], http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/wjdt/zyjh/t653431.htm accessed 10-23-2012.

19 Ibid.

20 People's Republic of China, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, (2001), “Basic Stance and Policy of the Chinese

Government in Solving the South China Sea Issue”, [Online],

http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/topics/3754/t19230.htm, (Accessed 10/15/2012)

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the People's Republic of China, set a Declaration on Conduct in the South China

Sea.21

In order to reaffirm the friendship and cooperation and to promoting a 21st

century-oriented partnership of good neighbourliness and mutual trust to the

South East Asia Countries, China government also expressed its keen interest to

cooperate with ASEAN for mutual benefit. ASEAN and China had agreed to

cooperate on eleven priority areas of cooperation, namely agriculture, information

and communication technology, human resource development, Mekong Basin

Development, investment, energy, transport, culture, public health, tourism and

environment.22

In political and security cooperation, China involves in ASEAN Regional

Forum (ARF), ASEAN Plus Three (APT), the East Asia Summit (EAS) and

ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting Plus (ADMM Plus). China was the first

dialogue partner of ASEAN to accede to the TAC in October 2003 in Bali and

accessed the TAC stature as the code of conduct for inter-state relations in the

South East Asia region. China was also the first Nuclear Weapon State (NWS)

which expressed its intention to accede to the Protocol to the SEANWFZ. ASEAN

– China also signed a MoU on Cooperation in the Field of Non-traditional Security

Issues was signed by ASEAN and China in January 2004 in Bangkok. At

ASEAN-China Summit in November 2011 in Bali, China agreed to set up the

ASEAN-China Maritime Cooperation Fund of RMB3 billion to implement the

practical projects under the implementation of the DOC.23

In economic cooperation, ASEAN and China‘s trade and economic

relations have been growing rapidly over the past ten years, especially after the

signing of the Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Economic Cooperation

in November 2002 to establish the Asean – China Free Trade Area. The ACFTA

was realised on 1 January 2010 as almost 97 per cent of products classified by

ASEAN-6 (Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore

and Thailand) and China in the Normal Track have been eliminated. The CLMV

21

Declaration of The Conduct of Parties in The SCS 2002, (online) http://www.aseansec.org/13163.htm, accessed 10/09/2012.

22 ASEAN CHINA DIALOGUE RELATIONS, The officials website of ASEAN, (online),

http://www.aseansec.org/5874.htm (accessed 10/17/2012). 23

Ibid.

Colonel Andy M Taufik, APCSS ASC 12-2

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countries will fully implement the ACFTA on 1 January 2015.24 China became

second largest export destination of ASEAN when ASEAN‘s exports to China

increased by 39.1%, from US$81.6 billion in 2009 to US$113.5 billion in 2010, on

the other hand ASEAN‘s Imports rose by 21.8% from US$96.6 billion in 2009 to

US$117.7 billion in 2010. For the first half of 2011, ASEAN became China‘s 3rd

largest trading partner and China was ASEAN‘s largest trading partner.25

In socio-cultural cooperation, a number of activities have been carried out

in the areas of education, culture, public health, science and technology, labor

and social security, environment, media, local government and people-to-people

exchanges, youth, social development and poverty reduction.26

Accordingly, there are no reasons for China to ruin its relationship to

ASEAN by such military actions in the South China Sea. The major security

issues facing The South East Asia countries are non-traditional ones such as the

internal impacts of globalization due to the financial crisis of 1997, the

destabilizing world market pressures on domestic society, and the increasing

economic competition among member-states that test the evolving bonds of a

growing ASEAN.

Advocation

The core of the South China Sea dispute lies in questions of border

problems and territorial sovereignties. The difficulties of overlapping claims and

the dispute‘s long history make determination of national sovereignty in the South

China Sea very difficult. The important factor of international mediation in this

problem is advocating. The United States or the UN can play the role in this

region as a mediator but it is not a party to any South China Sea dispute; the

United States or the UN has potency in promoting and facilitating dialogue for

advocating. But, as a mediator, the US should be transparent and neutral in order

to resolve all regional problems peacefully.

24

Ibid. 25

Ibid. 26

Ibid

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United Nations and International Law

The most important instrument to maintain world order and keep world

peace would be international laws. The codification of international law, known as

The United Nations convention 1982 on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), creates a

number of guidelines concerning the status of islands, the continental shelf,

enclosed seas, and territorial limits. The Law of the Sea Convention states that

countries with overlapping claims must resolve them by good faith negotiation.

The UNCLOS 1982 orders new legal rights and duties for Asian littoral states and

other users of ocean space. (The UNCLOS 1982, Article 3, 55-76 and 121)

Regarding with UNCLOS 1982, China government stated that ‗China is

committed to working with the countries concerned for proper settlement of the

disputes related to the South China Sea through peaceful negotiations in

accordance with the universally-recognized international law and the

contemporary law of the sea, including the fundamental principles and legal

regimes set forth in the U.N. Convention 1982 on the Law of the Sea‘.27

Prospect of South China Sea

South China Sea has a significant role for the coastal states in order to

develop their countries. It is important to keep this region stable, peaceful and

secure for the international community and for the states in this region. Multilateral

forum, such as ‗workshops‘ between ASEAN and China‘s (ASEAN plus One) are

important for promoting transparency and mutual exchange of information on

regional activities. Through this mediation, such tensions, and conflict among the

claimant states can be more easily accommodated.

In relation to South China Sea disputes, all states in this region should

maintain mutual cooperation to gain more benefits. Confidence, trust, and

transparency among the disputants should be placed as highest priority. In this

ways a good foreseeable future of the South China Sea will be realized.

27

People's Republic of China, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, (2001), “Its Origin”, [Online],

http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/topics/3754/t19233.htm (Accessed 10/15/2012)

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Conclusion

In the last ten years, ASEAN and China have developed a rising

partnership in security cooperation, trade/economic ties, and the social cultural

development. Each one toughened ASEAN plus One (ASEAN – China) relations

and created a stronger ―Asian identity‖ and ―Asian values.‖ There is no doubt that

the global implications of China's rise are its relations with ASEAN and it has

caused an increase in anxiety for many countries especially those of the

governments in the South China Sea region. But as I have shown, the

phenomenon of the emergence of China‘s power should not always be interpreted

as being a destabilizing factor in this region.

The core of the South China Sea dispute lies in questions of border

problems and territorial sovereignties. The difficulties of overlapping claims and

the dispute‘s long history make determination of national sovereignty in the South

China Sea very difficult. All the nations in this region should obey the United

Nation (UN). The UN codification 1982 on Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) appointed

new legal rights and duties for South China Sea coastal governments and other

users of ocean space. Definitely, if the issue of sovereignties can be resolved,

then such advantages could be reached and every state has rights to explore the

resources of the South China Sea.

Frictions over the South China‘s Sea can be avoided entirely if policy

makers have the political will and sit down together to seek a determined solution

to this problem. Confidence Building Measures are needed and all nations in this

region including China and ASEAN countries should be wise and manage

discourses to become regional unity, rather than separation, with the promotion of

a mutual understanding. This is the challenge for the region. I do believe that

China will not kill the goose which lays the golden eggs.

Andy M Taufik, Honolulu, Hawaii, October 2012

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BIBLIOGRAFI

Andrew H. Ring, (2012), ―A U.S. South China Sea Perspective: Just Over the

Horizon‖, Weatherhead Center for International Affairs Harvard University, July 4, 2012.

Buszynski Leszek, 2012, ―The South China Sea: Oil, Maritime Claims, and U.S.-

China Strategic Rivalry‖, The Washington Quarterly, p.142, SPRING 2012. pp. 139_156, [Online], http://csis.org/files/publication/twq12springbuszynski.pdf (accessed 10/19/2012).

BBC News, ―Trouble brews on Mischief Reef‖, (online),

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/260762.stm accessed 10-29-2012 China's National Online News Service, White Paper on Peaceful Development

Road Published, [Online], http://www.china.org.cn/english/2005/Dec/152669.htm accessed 10/12/2012.

Catley, B, Keliat, M., (1997), Spratleys: The Dispute in the South China Sea,

Ashgate Publishing Limited, Hants, England. Dai Bingguo, ‗‗Embrace New Opportunities for China-ASEAN Cooperation,‘‘

January 22, 2010, [Online], http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/wjdt/zyjh/t653431.htm accessed 10-23-2012.

Ernest Bower, cited in Steve Hargreaves, ―Tensions Heat Up Over Oil, Gas in

South China Sea,‖ CNN, 26 April, 2012, [Online], http://money.cnn.com/2012/04/24/news/economy/south-china-sea/index.htm (accessed 10-28-2012)

Global Security.org, ―China's Defense Budget‖,

[Online],http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/china/budget.htm accessed 10-25-2012.

Ian Storey, (2012), ―China‘s Bilateral and Multilateral Diplomacy in the South

China Sea,‖ in Cooperation from Strength : The United States, China and the South China Sea, Center for The American Century, January 2012.

Jane's Sentinel Security Assessment, Defence Budget Overview, [Online],

https://janes.ihs.com/CustomPages/Janes/DisplayPage.aspx?DocType=Reference&ItemId=+++1303142 accessed 10-26-2012

People's Republic of China, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, (2001), ―Basic Stance and

Policy of the Chinese Government in Solving the South China Sea Issue‖, [Online], http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/topics/3754/t19230.htm, (Accessed 10/15/2012).

Colonel Andy M Taufik, APCSS ASC 12-2

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People's Republic of China, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, (2001), ―Basic Stance and Policy of the Chinese Government in Solving the South China Sea Issue‖, [Online], http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/topics/3754/t19230.htm, (Accessed 10/15/2012)

People's Republic of China, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, (2001), ―Its Origin‖,

[Online], http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/topics/3754/t19233.htm (Accessed 10/15/2012)

Snyder, S., Glosserman, B. and Cossa, R.A., (2001), Confidence Building

Measures in the South China Sea, Pacific Forum CSIS, Honolulu, Hawaii. Swaine, Michael D and Ashley J. Tellis, (2000), Interpreting China’s Grand

Strategy Past, Present and Future, RAND, Santa Monica, p.22. The US DoD, Annual Report To Congress, Military and Security Developments

Involving the People‘s Republic of China, 2011. The officials website of ASEAN, Declaration of The Conduct of Parties in The

SCS 2002, (online) http://www.aseansec.org/13163.htm, accessed 10/09/2012.

The officials website of ASEAN, ASEAN CHINA DIALOGUE RELATIONS, ,

(online), http://www.aseansec.org/5874.htm (accessed 10/17/2012). The Chaos Group, ―Emergence Of Modern China‖, [Online],

http://www.chaos.umd.edu/history/modern.html, accessed 10-22-2012. Wikipedia, History of China, [Online], http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_China#Ancient_era accessed 10-22-

2012.