Cooperative Monitoring in the South China Sea: Satellite Imagery, Confidence-Building Measures, and the Spratly Islands Disputes

(Hardback)

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The Spratly Islands have represented a potential political and military flashpoint in the South China Sea for years, involving as they do various claims by China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Taiwan. This edited volume examines the issues involved in light of confidence-building measures that new high-resolution satellite imagery can offer to this, and other, regions. Baker, Wiencek, and their contributors assess the potential role for cooperative monitoring in mitigating the risk of conflict arising from multinational disputes over the Spratly Islands. They analyze how this new generation of civilian and commercial observation satellites can be used to reduce the changes of armed conflict breaking out by providing transparency that will detect and identify politically significant activities occurring at disputed islands and reefs among the Spratlys. Of particular interest to policy makers, scholars, and other researchers involved with military issues in Asia and international security concerns.

Author Bio

JOHN C.BAKER is a Technology Policy Analyst at RAND, Arlington, Virginia. His work is concerned with the international security implications of commerical observation satellites and other dual-use space technologies. Among his earlier publications is the co-edited Commercial Observation Satellites: At the Leading Edge of Global Transparency. DAVID G. WIENCEK heads the consulting company, International Security Group, Inc., which specializes in international political risk assessments, East and Southeast Asian political-security affairs, Weapons of Mass Destruction and proliferation studies, and terrorism issues.Among his earlier writings is the co-edited Asian Security Handbook 2000.