Sixth Annual CSIS South China Sea Conference

The CSIS Southeast Asia Program and Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative are pleased to present the Sixth Annual CSIS South China Sea Conference on Tuesday, July 12, 2016.

Coming hours after the Permanent Court of Arbitration will issue its verdict on China's territorial claims in the South China Sea, this full-day conference examines both longstanding and emerging issues in one of the world’s most contentious zones. It will feature speakers from throughout the region, including those from claimant countries. Panels will review recent developments, engage on relevant legal and military issues, and discuss the wider geo-strategic implications for the region. This year, CSIS will feature for the first time a panel discussing the environmental costs of recent military developments on the ecosystem of the South China Sea.

Please note that the agenda is subject to last-minute change.

9:00 a.m.  Briefing on the Philippines v China Arbitration Award

Gregory Poling
Director, Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative; and
Fellow, Southeast Asia Program
Center for Strategic and International Studies

9:15 a.m.  Keynote Speech
 
Senator Dan Sullivan
Committee on Armed Services
United States Senate
 
Introduction:
John J. Hamre
President and CEO
Center for Strategic and International Studies

Moderator:
Murray Hiebert
Senior Adviser and Deputy Director, Southeast Asia Program
Center for Strategic and International Studies
 
10:00 a.m.  Legal Issues and Next Steps

Julia Xue
Academy Senior Fellow
International Law Programme
Chatham House, the Royal Institute of International Affairs

Henry Bensurto
Consul General
Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco

James Kraska
Professor of Oceans Law and Policy
Stockton Center for the Study of International Law
U.S. Naval War College
 
Erik Franckx
Member, Permanent Court of Arbitration; and President, Department of International and European Law
Vrije Universiteit, Brussels, Belgium

Moderator:
Bonnie Glaser
Senior Adviser for Asia and Director, China Power Project
Center for Strategic and International Studies

11:15 a.m.  Coffee Break

11:30 a.m.  The South China Sea in 2016
 
RADM Michael McDevitt (USN, Ret.)
Senior Fellow in Strategic Studies
CNA Corporation
 
Shen Dingli
Vice Dean of the Institute of International Affairs
Fudan University, Shanghai, China
 
Nguyen Vu Tung
Acting President
Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam
 
Elina Noor
Director for Foreign Policy and Security Studies
Institute of Strategic and International Studies, Malaysia
 
Moderator:
Murray Hiebert
Senior Adviser and Deputy Director, Southeast Asia Program
Center for Strategic and International Studies
 
12:45 p.m.  Lunch Served
 
1:15 p.m.  Lunch Keynote
 
Daniel J. Kritenbrink
Senior Director for Asian Affairs
National Security Council

Moderator:
Murray Hiebert
Senior Adviser and Deputy Director, Southeast Asia Program
Center for Strategic and International Studies
 
1:45 p.m.  Military Modernization and Capacity Building
 
Timothy Heath
Senior International Defense Research Analyst
RAND Corporation
 
Natalie Sambhi
Research Fellow
Perth USAsia Centre
 
Carlyle Thayer
Emeritus Professor
University of New South Wales
Australian Defence Force Academy
 
Tetsuo Kotani
Senior Fellow
Japan Institute of International Affairs

Moderator:
COL Desmond Walton (Ret.)
Senior Associate (Non-resident), Southeast Asia Program
Center for Strategic and International Studies

3:00 p.m.  Coffee Break

3:15 p.m.  The Environmental Question
 
John McManus
Professor of Marine Biology and Fisheries; and
Director, National Center for Coral Reef Research
University of Miami
 
Edgardo Gomez
University Professor Emeritus and National Scientist
Marine Science Institute
University of the Philippines
 
Kwang-Tsao Shao
Research Fellow and Executive Officer, Biodiversity Research Center
Academia Sinica, Taiwan
 
Dan Liu
Associate Researcher, Centre for Polar and Deep Ocean Development
Shanghai Jiao Tong University
 
Moderator:
Gregory Poling
Director, Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative; and
Fellow, Southeast Asia Program
Center for Strategic and International Studies
 
4:30 p.m.  Adjourn

4:45 p.m. Following the adjournment, Ambassador Cui Tiankai will deliver remarks live-streamed here.

This event is made possible by general support to CSIS.