Militarization as a Challenge to the International Order

Toshi Yoshihara, a leading U.S. expert on Chinese maritime strategy and a senior fellow at U.S. policy think-tank Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, was interviewed by Sankei News. Mr. Yoshihara pointed out that China’s unilateral assertion of territorial rights in the South China Sea, and its militarization by China, pose “a challenge to the international liberal order spearheaded by the U.S.” At the same time, he stressed the importance of strengthening U.S. cooperation with its allies, including Japan, as well as “front-line states” bordering the South China Sea, e.g., the Philippines and Vietnam.