Justice Carpio explains why China’s new coast guard law, sometimes likened to a “Monroe Doctrine,” is fundamentally different: it seeks to enforce expansive maritime claims beyond sovereign zones recognized under UNCLOS and threatens the rights and security of ASEAN coastal states.
Justice Carpio refutes China’s claim of a peaceful history by detailing historical invasions of neighboring states and modern seizures of maritime features, and explains how China’s nine‑dash line aims to control nearly the entire South China Sea—at the expense of international law and ASEAN rights.