Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative
AMTI aims to promote transparency in the Indo-Pacific to dissuade assertive behavior and conflict and generate opportunities for cooperation and confidence building
The maritime environment in East Asia contains both promise and peril. The Indo-Pacific region is host to some of the world’s most important shipping lanes, facilitates huge volumes of regional trade, and boasts abundant natural resources. Competing territorial claims, incidents between neighboring countries, and increasing militarization, however, raise the possibility that an isolated event at sea could become a geopolitical catastrophe. This is all occurring against a backdrop of relative opaqueness. Geography makes it difficult to monitor events as they occur, and there is no public, reliable authority for information on maritime developments.
The Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative seeks to change this. AMTI was conceived of and designed by CSIS. It is an interactive, regularly-updated source for information, analysis, and policy exchange on maritime security issues in Asia. AMTI aims to promote transparency in the Indo-Pacific to dissuade assertive behavior and conflict and generate opportunities for cooperation and confidence building. Because AMTI aims to provide an objective platform for exchange, AMTI and CSIS take no position on territorial or maritime claims.
AMTI Leadership
All Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative Content
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Rhetoric vs. Reality: The Philippines, ASEAN, and the South China Sea
Commentary by Monica Sato — November 7, 2025
Chinese Buoys at Scarborough Shoal
Commentary — November 5, 2025
Pacific Airwaves - Rivalry, Resilience, and Regional Unity
Podcast Episode by Andreyka Natalegawa and Monica Sato — October 30, 2025
Continued Korea-China Standoffs in the PMZ
Commentary by Jennifer Jun and Victor Cha — October 27, 2025
Korea-China Standoffs in the PMZ
Commentary by Jennifer Jun and Victor Cha — October 27, 2025
China’s Nature Reserve at Scarborough—More than a Decade Too Late
Commentary — September 18, 2025
The Risks of U.S. Deep-Sea Mining
Commentary by Harrison Prétat and Monica Sato — August 26, 2025
The Risks of U.S. Deep-Sea Mining
Podcast Episode by Harrison Prétat and Monica Sato — August 26, 2025
No Islet Left Behind: Vietnam Reclaims Land at Every Remaining Spratly Outpost
Commentary — August 22, 2025
What China’s 2025 White Paper Says About Its Maritime Strategy
Blog Post by Ziya Guo — August 19, 2025