Jan. 26, 2016 event titled "What is the Future of the South China Sea?"
Summary: The South China Sea is the one of the most economic consequential and political disputed areas in the world. Donald Emmerson presented an overview of the various islands and geological formations under contestation, and the cooperation, or lack thereof, among Taiwan and six ASEAN countries in dealing with artificial islands build-up and naval advances by the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Susan Shirk and Stephan Haggard added perspectives on how the PRC’s “nine-dash line” claims may set a precedent on how it relates to the rest of the Asia Pacific region in terms of trade, nationalism, military de-escalation and the freedom of navigation. The event was co-organized by Southeast Asia Link (SEAL), a student-run organization at the GPS that is dedicated to fostering an in-depth understanding of the diversity of Southeast Asian nations in terms of their unique culture, politics and economy.