Multilateral cooperation needed to deter Beijing in South China Sea

How can policymakers best prevent unexpected contingencies in the South China Sea? At a series of ASEAN-related foreign ministers' meetings in Laos that ran through July 27, the U.S. and China had multiple exchanges but found no clear path toward easing tensions.

That is because China refuses to stop its aggressive, legally baseless maritime expansion. Japan, the U.S. and other countries must deter these moves by Beijing through multilateral cooperation, while also supporting the Philippines, which is under strong pressure from its giant neighbor in the contested waters.