Maritime Cooperation in Semi-Enclosed Seas, edited by Keyuan Zou, brings together distinguished scholars to discuss how and to what extent Article 123 of the LOSC has been implemented in state practice in East Asia and Europe, and what kind of existing experiences can be observed and lessons drawn so as to promote maritime cooperation in semi-enclosed seas. An interdisciplinary approach has been taken to broaden the scope of discussion on how to strengthen the implementation of the LOSC. The book is divided into four parts: “International Legal Framework for Semi-Enclosed Seas Cooperation,” “Cooperative Management of Marine Resources,” “Handling Non-Traditional Security Issues,” and “New Challenges to Semi-Enclosed Seas Cooperation.” In addition to general discussions on semi-enclosed seas, the volume offers special geographic coverage of the East China Sea and South China Sea in East Asia and the North Sea and Mediterranean Sea in Europe.
The aim of the study is to assess the practice of littoral states towards cooperative management of maritime space, possible only through trans-border cooperation, and the utilisation of marine resources in semi-enclosed seas. The goals are to develop a theoretical framework, which explains the impact of conflict resolution as a means of managing the marine commons, and to analyse the various aspects of coastal and island states' ocean policies. Also included in this study is an evaluation of selected cases of dispute resolution over territorial claims and border discrepancies.
South China Sea (SCS) issues are complex and dynamic, ranging from historic claims to present day military occupation, from military security to regional stability, from rhetorical appeasements to national interests, from intraregional competition to extraregional involvement. The submissions made in 2009 by several Southeast Asian states to the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) respecting outer limits of extended continental shelves beyond 200 nautical miles in the South China Sea resulted in renewed attention to the maritime disputes over the insular features and the waters of the South China Sea among several claimant States. Questions have resurfaced about the future of cooperation in the region. Furthermore, the improvement of cross-Strait relations between Taiwan and China after 2008 has added a new element to the evolution of South China Sea issues. This book describes these recent developments in depth and provides an examination of possible future developments in the South China Sea. The articles in this book were originally published as special sections in Ocean Development & International Law.
The current jurisdictional status of the Mediterranean Sea is remarkable. Nearly 50 per cent of the Mediterranean waters are high seas and therefore beyond the jurisdiction of coastal States. This situation means that there are no points in the Mediterranean Sea where the coasts of two States would be more than 400 nautical miles apart. Such a legal situation generally prevents coastal States from adopting and enforcing their laws on the Mediterranean high seas, in respect of many important fields such as the protection and preservation of the marine environment, as well as the conservation of marine living resources. The jurisdictional landscape of the Adriatic Sea as a sub-sea and sub-region of the Mediterranean, is even more interesting. Croatia has proclaimed an Ecological and Fisheries Protection Zone, Slovenia has proclaimed a Zone of Ecological Protection, while Italy has adopted a framework law for the proclamation of its Zone of Ecological Protection without proclaiming its regime in the Adriatic. It is noteworthy that if all Mediterranean and Adriatic States would proclaim an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), there would not be a single stretch of high seas left in the entire Mediterranean Sea. Both the Adriatic and Mediterranean fall in the category of enclosed or semi-enclosed seas regulated by Part IX of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). This book assesses the legal nature of Part IX of UNCLOS and discusses potential benefits of the extension of coastal State jurisdiction (proclamation of EEZs and/or similar sui generis zones), particularly in light of the recent calls towards an integrated and holistic approach to the management of different activities in the Mediterranean Sea. It examines the actual or potential extension of coastal State jurisdiction in the Adriatic Sea, against the background of similar extensions elsewhere in the Mediterranean and against the background of relevant EU policies. It additionally explores whether Part IX of UNCLOS imposes any duties of cooperation in relation to the extension of coastal State jurisdiction in enclosed or semi-enclosed seas, and puts forward practical suggestions as to how the issue of extension of coastal State jurisdiction could be approached in a way which would enhance States existing cooperation and improve the overall governance in the Mediterranean and Adriatic seas. This book will be of interest to policymakers and academics and students of international law, and the law of the sea.
The current jurisdictional status of the Mediterranean Sea is remarkable. Nearly 50 per cent of the Mediterranean waters are high seas and therefore beyond the jurisdiction of coastal States. This situation means that there are no points in the Mediterranean Sea where the coasts of two States would be more than 400 nautical miles apart. Such a legal situation generally prevents coastal States from adopting and enforcing their laws on the Mediterranean high seas, in respect of many important fields such as the protection and preservation of the marine environment, as well as the conservation of marine living resources. The jurisdictional landscape of the Adriatic Sea as a sub-sea and sub-region of the Mediterranean, is even more interesting. Croatia has proclaimed an Ecological and Fisheries Protection Zone, Slovenia has proclaimed a Zone of Ecological Protection, while Italy has adopted a framework law for the proclamation of its Zone of Ecological Protection without proclaiming its regime in the Adriatic. It is noteworthy that if all Mediterranean and Adriatic States would proclaim an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), there would not be a single stretch of high seas left in the entire Mediterranean Sea. Both the Adriatic and Mediterranean fall in the category of enclosed or semi-enclosed seas regulated by Part IX of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). This book assesses the legal nature of Part IX of UNCLOS and discusses potential benefits of the extension of coastal State jurisdiction (proclamation of EEZs and/or similar sui generis zones), particularly in light of the recent calls towards an integrated and holistic approach to the management of different activities in the Mediterranean Sea. It examines the actual or potential extension of coastal State jurisdiction in the Adriatic Sea, against the background of similar extensions elsewhere in the Mediterranean and against the background of relevant EU policies. It additionally explores whether Part IX of UNCLOS imposes any duties of cooperation in relation to the extension of coastal State jurisdiction in enclosed or semi-enclosed seas, and puts forward practical suggestions as to how the issue of extension of coastal State jurisdiction could be approached in a way which would enhance States existing cooperation and improve the overall governance in the Mediterranean and Adriatic seas. This book will be of interest to policymakers and academics and students of international law, and the law of the sea.
This book provides an explanation of Chinese policy towards the South China Sea, and argues that this has been sculpted by the changing dynamics of the law of the sea in conjunction with regional geopolitical flux. The past few decades have witnessed a bifurcated trend in China’s management of territorial disputes. Over the years, while China gradually calmed and settled most land-border disputes with its neighbors, disputes on the ocean frontier continued to simmer in a seething cauldron. China's Policy towards the South China Sea attributes the distinctive path of China’s approach to maritime disputes to a unique factor – the law of the sea (LOS) as the "rules of the road" in the ocean. By deconstructing the concept of "sovereignty" and treating the LOS as an evolving regime, the book examines how the changing dynamics of the LOS regime have complicated and reshaped the nature and content of sovereign disputes in the ocean regime as well as the options of settlement. Applying the findings to the South China Sea case, the author traces the learning curve on which China has embarked to comprehend the complexity of the dispute accordingly and finds that it is the dynamic interaction of the law of the sea regime and the geopolitical conditions that has driven the evolution of China’s South China Sea policy. This book will be of great interest to students of Chinese and Asian politics, international law, international relations and security studies.
The Routledge Handbook of the South China Sea presents a comprehensive and in-depth analysis of South China Sea issues. It evaluates the dynamics of the latest developments and identifies factors that contribute to dispute settlement and a cooperative management regime of one of the most important seas in the world – one which not only contains rich marine resources and distinctive biodiversity but is also a critical sea route for global trade and communications. The Handbook is divided into six parts, each representing a focused area of enquiry: • History and geostrategic landscape • Sovereignty and maritime entitlements • South China Sea policies of major claimants • Natural resources and environment • Cooperation and institutions • Challenges and prospects Written by world-renowned experts and scholars, with specialisms from geography to international law, the volume’s 25 chapters contribute interdisciplinary perspectives, reflecting the impact of how South China Sea policies are shaped by national governments and international organizations. As such, the Handbook provides an authoritative reference to South China Sea Studies, useful for students and scholars of international relations, history, maritime and Asian studies.
Asia-Pacific and the Implementation of the Law of the Sea reviews the legislative and policy approach taken by selected States to fulfil their obligations under the United Nations Law of the Sea Convention (LOSC). Australia, Canada, China, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam are examined in detail together with an analysis of the United States’ prospects of ratifying the LOSC and its current approach to implement the international law of the sea. The book reveals areas of regional variation and consensus in legislative approaches to implement LOSC obligations, contributing to the progressive development of the law of the sea.
