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

Visit amti.csis.org

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

Gregory B. Poling

Gregory B. Poling

Director and Senior Fellow, Southeast Asia Program and Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative
Harrison Prétat

Harrison Prétat

Deputy Director and Fellow, Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative

All Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative Content

Filter by

1 - 10 of 640 results

Whitley Saumweber: Finding Nemo’s Future: Conflicts over Ocean Resources

The issue of illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing is central to questions of national wealth, sovereignty, and market stability in the U.S. and our global partners. Adequate solutions to the escalating IUU problem will require interagency and international cooperation on this bipartisan topic.

Transcript by Whitley Saumweber — June 12, 2025

Gregory B. Poling: Finding Nemo’s Future: Conflicts over Ocean Resources

Illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing is a nontraditional, but important national security consideration. The U.S. is equipped to take stronger action to limit IUU fishing and its consequences of abetting crime networks and violating international sovereignty.

Congressional Testimony by Gregory B. Poling — June 12, 2025

South Korea and the Squad: Strategic Opportunities and Constraints

In March 2025, General Romeo Brawner, chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, suggested expanding the emerging “Squad”—an informal quadrilateral security initiative comprising the Philippines, the United States, Japan, and Australia—by inviting South Korea and India to join.

Blog Post by Ziya Guo — June 2, 2025