China South China Sea

Jay L. Batongbacal, a professor at the University of the Philippines College of Law, on the South China Sea disputes and international law.

The international community must respond to China’s maritime coercion.

The mass incursion of Chinese vessels into the Philippines' EEZ is a dramatic demonstration of the limits of the president's policy toward China.

Beijing’s behavior, while unsurprising, is only likely to further antagonize its neighbors.

Though recent allegations raise more questions than they provide answers, they should reinforce the need for greater transparency in the South China Sea.

The new tensions reinforce existing worries about Chinese conduct in the South China Sea.

While joint activities between regional states are no doubt significant, they need to be kept in perspective relative to broader trends.

The muted Philippine response has exacerbated existing concerns about the regional response to Beijing's maritime claims.

A closer look at the broader significance behind a much-anticipated development.

Advances at a recent meeting are much more modest than suggested and conceal the significant challenges that remain.

The fact that an old idea is finally set to become a reality reflects broader changes underway in the region.