This book evaluates the role of United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea in managing maritime order in East Asia, while reflecting upon various interpretations of UNCLOS. Providing an overview of the key maritime disputes occurring in the Asia Pacific, it examines case studies from a selection of representative countries.

Introduction Part I Regional Maritime Order Overview1. China-ASEAN Relations in the South China Sea: Persistent Patterns and Obstacles to Cooperation2. The East China Sea: Sea of Regional and Global ConfrontationPart II National Perspective3. Historic Concepts Vs. Contemporary Maritime Regimes in UNCLOS: China’s Claims in the South China Sea4. Navigational Rights, Freedoms, and Interests in the South China Sea: The Philippines’ Perspective5. Indonesia: An Archipelagic State's Perspectives on the Law of the Sea6. Balancing the Rights of Coastal States and User States in the Post-UNCLOS Age: Vietnam and Navigational Rights7. The United States and Accession to UNCLOS: A Case of How Domestic Political Polarization Results in Free RidershipPart III Navigation Related Issues and UNCLOS8. Freedom of Navigation and the UNCLOS Order9. The Prior Notification Issue of Military Activities in EEZ 10. Maritime Confidence Building Measures: Assessing China-US MOU on Notification of Major Military Activities and Rules of BehaviorPart IV Maritime Entitlement, Delimitation and Dispute Settlement and UNCLOS11. The Sino-Philippine Arbitration on the South China Sea Disputes: A Preliminary Assessment of the Merits Award12. Archipelagos and Archipelagic Regimes in the Law of the Sea 13. Low-tide Elevations: A Contemporary Analysis 14. Resolving Disputes under UNCLOS when the Coastal and User States are Disputed