Their positions narrowed avenues for joint cooperation to thwart China’s maritime expansion and uphold international law. Chinese maritime strategy revisitedFrom a strategic vantage point, the most significant implication of the PCA ruling lies in the severed nexus between China’s legitimacy-building and power projection. In the greater scheme of things, Chinese control of the South China Sea through deployment and operationalization of A2/AD assets will extend the PLA’s power projection capabilities. In addition, maritime control over the South China Sea will also support the PLAN’s power-project capabilities into the far seas. By clarifying the maritime entitlements of the South China Sea, however, China’s expansive maritime claim has been exposed in the international limelight for critical legal and intellectual scrutiny.

Source: Philippine Star July 12, 2017 00:00 UTC