US FONOPs in the South China Sea: Whose lane is it anyway

Abstract

Chinas rise from the century of humiliation has allowed it to emerge as a near-peer for the United States. Accompanying this is a set of nebulous yet audacious assertions in the South China Sea that could potentially threaten states in the region, the globe and the eroding US military advantage. Diplomatic efforts to mitigate excessive Chinese maritime claims in the region have proven fruitless thus far. US freedom of navigation operations (FONOPs) in the region to supplement the diplomatic initiatives have not dissuaded Chinese aggression either. Inherently risky and apparently ineffective, one has to wonder if the juice is worth the squeeze in regards to US FONOPs in the South China Sea. Careful consideration of the totality of circumstances indicates the juice is worth the squeeze because FONOPs allow the United States to achieve long term global successes by maintaining customary international law, shaping desired strategic effects and strengthening partnerships.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 14, 2020
Accession Number
AD1105299

Entities

People

  • Marc Castellucci

Organizations

  • Naval War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Ground and Sea Platforms

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Department Of Defense
  • Governments
  • Intergovernmental Organizations
  • International Law
  • International Relations
  • Law
  • Military Operations
  • Naval Operations
  • Naval Warfare
  • Navigation
  • Navy
  • Oceans
  • Political Systems
  • Security
  • South China Sea
  • United States
  • War Colleges

Readers

  • Asian Economic Studies
  • Strategic Security Studies
  • Systems Analysis and Design