ABSTRACT
This book investigates the interplay between an essential dispute and the establishment of order in the South China Sea. The English school is applied because it embodies concepts that are useful for understanding international disputes and international order. The book proposes that the Spratly dispute challenges existing traditions of regional state conduct. The English school concept of essential disputes is the starting point for this part of the analysis. The book then proposes that the challenges inherent in the Spratly dispute induce China and Southeast Asia to establish a regional order in the South China Sea. The idea that order is a central aspect of international relations lies at the heart of the English school, and it consequently provides a natural starting point for analyzing order in the South China Sea.
