Introduction
Recent years have witnessed heightened competition between China and her neighbors over resources, sovereignty and security in the South China Sea. This increased competition and tension has attracted the attention of both military and diplomatic leaders from various nations across the world that seek to promote both security and stability in these important waters. In fact the competition for maritime rights in this sea has become the most important issue of security in East Asia and some analyst have even declared it as the central conflict theatre in the globe. The South China Sea spans about 3.5 million kilometers ...