ABSTRACT
China's posture regarding the South China Sea disputes in the post-cold war has been characterized by an awkward mix of change and continuity. At the heart of Beijing's general approach lie Deng Xiaoping's basic principles. The maritime part of the dispute stems essentially from United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) provisions concerning the existence of maritime rights beyond territorial waters and contiguous zones. A declaration on the conduct of parties in the South China Sea was subsequently signed by China and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries in November 2002. In that, all claimants asserted their will to "build trust and confidence" and to "resolve their territorial and jurisdictional disputes by peaceful means, without resorting to the threat or use of force". The naval forces of the Southeast Asian claimants have largely been unable to keep pace with the people's liberation army (PLA) Navy.
