Bec Strating is discussing defending the Maritime Rules-Based Order.
Maritime disputes are multifaceted. They include overlapping claims of sovereignty and jurisdiction, contests over freedom of navigation, island-building and militarization, and the use of ‘grey zone’ tactics to harass, intimidate and advance strategic interests. Maritime disputes have become highly visible microcosms of broader discord between the US-led regional security order, and challenger conceptions of order that see a bigger role for rising powers in generating new rules and alternative interpretations of existing international law.
The 2019 US Indo-Pacific strategy report outlined expectations that US allies and partners would contribute to a regional ‘rules-based order’ and share US responsibilities for defending the region against common threats in maritime domains. But it is not clear that the US and its allies and partners have the same understanding of maritime order or the rules that support it.
Interview by Flavia Bellieni Zimmermann.
Video & editing by #MilesTweediePhotography
