The Permanent Court of Arbitration’s decision places more pressure on the US than China, as Washington must now act to support this emphatic judgement. Failure to do so will further weaken America’s credibility, and undermine the rules-based order it seeks to preserve.
In order to determine how the US may effectively respond, China’s strategy must be understood.
In recent years a number of high profile strategists have described China’s South China Sea (SCS) encroachment as ‘salami tactics’. Here on The Interpreter, Derek Lundy eloquently explained what is meant by this (though none will eclipse this gem from Yes Prime Minister). Indeed, the …read more
