Military Multipolarity in the South China Sea

... islands. The situation is complicated by an acute intra-regional competition, which could well be fueled by Beijing, as well as by Australia’s and India’s increased interest in the South China Sea. Fierce clashes seem unlikely and a great deal will depend on the future of U.S.-China relations, which is still ... ... this uncertainty can be used by both the Chinese and the Americans as a way of exerting political pressure on the countries of Southeast Asia to make them adopt a certain position against their will. 1 . Jean-Marc Blanchard, “Maritime Issues in Asia: ...