Chinas Law of the Sea

An in-depth examination of the law and geopolitics of Chinas maritime disputes and their implications for the rules of the international law of the sea Chinas Law of the Sea is the first comprehensive study of the law and geopolitics of Chinas maritime disputes. It provides a rigorous empirical account of whether and how China is changing the rules of international orderspecifically, the international law of the sea. Conflicts over specific rules lie at the heart of the disputes, which are about much more than sovereignty over islands and rocks in the South and East China Seas. Instead, the main contests concern the strategic maritime space associated with those islands. To consolidate control over this vital maritime space, Chinas leaders have begun to implement Chinas law of the sea: building domestic legal institutions, bureaucratic organizations, and a naval and maritime law enforcement apparatus to establish Chinas preferred maritime rules on the water and in the diplomatic arena. Isaac B. Kardon examines Chinas laws and policies to defend, exploit, study, administer, surveil, and patrol disputed waters. He also considers other claimants reactions to these Chinese practices, because other states must acquiesce for Chinas preferences to become international rules. Chinas maritime disputes offer unique insights into the nature and scope of Chinas challenge to international order.