Kim Beng, Phar (2026) Beware militarisation in the South China Sea. Free Malaysia Today, 2026 (34). pp. 1-3.
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Abstract
This article examines the accelerating militarisation of the South China Sea through the lens of incremental strategic competition among regional claimants and major powers. It argues that contemporary maritime tensions are increasingly characterised by "creeping militarisation," whereby humanitarian exercises, coast guard operations, infrastructure expansion, and military deployments gradually blur the distinction between civilian and military activities. Using developments surrounding Itu Aba (Taiping Island), the expansion of United States–Philippines military exercises, and China's corresponding naval responses as illustrative cases, the article analyses how security dilemmas reinforce cycles of mutual suspicion and strategic escalation. It further explores the broader implications of unresolved sovereignty disputes, cross-Strait dynamics, and competing interpretations of international maritime order for ASEAN's regional stability. The discussion contends that the normalisation of military signalling lowers the threshold for future crises and heightens the risk of inadvertent conflict in one of the world's most strategically significant maritime corridors. The article concludes by advocating strengthened confidence-building measures, enhanced crisis communication mechanisms, and renewed commitment to an effective ASEAN–China Code of Conduct as essential instruments for preserving regional peace, maritime security, and ASEAN centrality amid intensifying Indo-Pacific geopolitical competition.
| Item Type: | Article (Electronic Media) |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | South China Sea Militarisation; Creeping Militarisation; Maritime Security; ASEAN; ASEAN Centrality; Indo-Pacific |
| Subjects: | J Political Science > JZ International relations |
| Kulliyyahs/Centres/Divisions/Institutes (Can select more than one option. Press CONTROL button): | International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilization (ISTAC) Office of the Rector |
| Depositing User: | Dr Kim Beng Phar |
| Date Deposited: | 01 Aug 2026 12:11 |
| Last Update: | 01 Aug 2026 12:11 |
| Queue Number: | 2026-07-Q4413 |
| URI: | http://irep.iium.edu.my/id/eprint/130394 |
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