The South China Sea security problem: towards regional cooperation

The year 2009 marked many dynamic developments in the South China Sea which attracted the attention of the international community. The main objective of this paper is to analyze these recent security developments by examining the following questions: why tensions are rising in the South China Sea, how challenging is the problem, and what can be done to promote regional cooperation among the countries involved? The paper argues that in order to preserve regional stability, a comprehensive approach must be developed, beginning with confidence-building measures through cooperation in solving non-traditional security problems.