The United States, China and Maritime Asia

The ascension of new leaders in China coincides with mounting tensions in the East China and South China seas, posing serious risks to the regional maritime order. Amid these disputes and uncertainties, China’s new leaders and the Obama administration are attempting to define the road ahead in Sino-American relations. The risks posed by China’s increasingly tense relations with its maritime neighbors are worrisome, and add to the complexities and potential consequences for the future of the U.S.-China relationship.

On December 17, the John L. Thornton China Center at Brookings hosted a discussion on China’s maritime disputes and the future of U.S.-China relations featuring leading experts on Chinese foreign policy and maritime strategy, and an address by The Honorable Kevin Rudd, the 26th prime minister of Australia and former minister of foreign affairs.