| Summary: | 碩士 === 國立臺灣大學 === 政治學研究所 === 105 === As the South China Sea conflict continues to escalate tensions between China, the United States and other South East Asian nations, it is increasingly important to grasp America’s evolving South China Sea policy and role as a guarantor of stability in the Pacific Rim. While the United States is not a claimant in the South China Sea dispute, it is a pacific power with key economic and security interests in both the South China Sea and the surrounding region. Given America’s historic role in maintaining peace and stability in the region, it is not only appropriate, but increasingly necessary for the United States to stand up for core interests including the right to freedom of navigation, commitment to peaceful resolution of disputes and general preservation of international norms. These interests have not only benefitted all Pacific nations’ development, but also facilitated political stability and a general state of peace and prosperity.
Over the last two decades, America’s foreign policy and general strategy in the South China Sea have experienced some subtle changes, but, at its core, the guiding principles and policy objectives have remained a constant. America continues to protect freedom of navigation, promote peace and stability, and deter China from using its economic or military might to threaten or cajole neighboring countries into foregoing a multi-lateral, peaceful resolution of territorial disputes. These core interests have and will continue to be promoted by US foreign policy in the region, regardless of who serves the office of the presidency. Despite the appearance of radical change in America’s policy towards the South China Sea, there have been very few concrete deviations in US South China Sea policy in the past two decades. In contrast to the United States’ attempts at maintaining freedom of navigation operations and general calls for de-escalation of tensions, the People’s Republic of China has over the last decade increasingly utilized military force, economic threats and land reclamation to destabilize the region and cement baseless territorial claims. It is the latter that has led to increased tensions and resulted in subtle changes in US foreign policy in the South China Sea.
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