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asia policy<br />
Europe and Maritime Security in the South China Sea:<br />
Beyond Principled Statements?<br />
Mathieu Duchâtel<br />
The European Union, France, Germany, Italy, and the United<br />
Kingdom all signed the G-7 Foreign Ministers’ Declaration on<br />
Maritime Security in Lübeck in April 2015. The declaration reiterates<br />
their commitment to “freedoms of navigation and overflight” and to an<br />
“international maritime order based upon the principles of international<br />
law, in particular as reflected in UNCLOS [the United Nations Convention<br />
on the Law of the Sea].” The declaration also makes clear that Europe<br />
shares the concerns of the United States and Japan regarding “unilateral<br />
actions” in the East and South China Seas. 1 However, despite this<br />
diplomatic support, Europe has been by far a marginal player in the South<br />
China Sea and appears disconnected from the Asian security debate that<br />
takes place in Washington—for example, only a very tiny minority of<br />
individuals in European capitals has discussed the possibility of freedom<br />
of navigation operations in the South China Sea.<br />
This essay examines European interests in the South China Sea and<br />
argues that Europe faces a gap between intentions and capabilities regarding<br />
Asian security. This gap is widening as a result of the deteriorating security<br />
environment in Europe’s immediate neighborhood—the wars in eastern<br />
Ukraine and Syria, the refugee crisis, and the necessity of protecting<br />
European populations from terrorist actions. For the United States, Europe<br />
should be taken for what it is—a partner in values that can only make<br />
limited contributions to improving the security environment in the South<br />
China Sea. As long as tensions in the South China Sea remain below the<br />
threshold of armed confrontation, the policy debate in Europe will remain<br />
focused on how to best formulate statements.<br />
mathieu duchâtel is a Senior Policy Fellow and Deputy Director of the Asia and China Programme<br />
at the European Council on Foreign Relations. He can be reached at .<br />
1 “G7 Foreign Ministers’ Declaration on Maritime Security in Lübeck, 15 April 2015,” Federal<br />
Foreign Office (Germany), April 15, 2015 u http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/EN/Infoservice/<br />
Presse/Meldungen/2015/150415_G7_Maritime_Security.html?nn=479796.<br />
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