ABSTRACT
This chapter is devoted to China's attitude and policy practices regarding possible solutions to the South China Sea (SCS) issue. It focuses on three pieces of national maritime legislation: China's ratification of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea; the Law of the People's Republic of China on the Territorial Sea and the Contiguous Zone; and the Law on the Exclusive Economic Zone and the Continental Shelf. China's attendance at the SCS workshop did not lead to an immediate embrace of multilateralism. At first, the Chinese government resisted any discussion or collective action on the SCS issue on a multilateral basis. The SCS workshop also influenced China's policy-making regarding maritime governance. It increased China's policy-related knowledge and involved China in cooperative projects with international organizations. The growing emphasis on sustainable development influenced China's marine practices in mainly two policy arenas: marine environment protection and fisheries.
