A Study On The Different Responses Of Southeast Asian Nations To The Us Freedom Of Navigation Operations In The South China Sea

In recent years,the United States has frequently implemented so-called freedom of navigation operations in the South China Sea and has actively wooed Southeast Asian countries to carry out joint cruises.This operation has seriously threatened our country’s territorial sovereignty,economic development,and military security.How to better respond to the U.S.freedom of navigation operations and maintain good interaction with Southeast Asian countries is a practical issue that our country urgently needs to resolve.The thesis takes the U.S.freedom of navigation operations in the south China sea as the main research object,using research methods such as type analysis and causality analysis,and focuses on analyzing the different responses of Southeast Asian countries to this operation.First of all,the thesis sorts out the background,evolution and current key areas of the U.S.freedom of navigation operations,and has an overall grasp of the U.S.freedom of navigation operations;Secondly,the responses of Southeast Asian countries to the U.S.freedom of navigation operations in the South China Sea are divided into active cooperation type,strong opposition type and both sides speculative type,and summarize the types and characteristics of the different responses of Southeast Asian countries;Thirdly,analyze the reasons from four aspects: domestic factors,legal factors,intra-regional factors,and extra-regional factors;Finally,it gives China’s response strategy based on the reasons,and tries to provide new ideas for China to respond to U.S.freedom of navigation operations and to resolve the South China Sea issue.This thesis holds that the South China Sea has become the center of gravity of the U.S.freedom of navigation operations,and its true intention is to dominate the South China Sea regional order,consolidate its maritime hegemony,and serve the country’s economic,military and strategic interests;The Southeast Asian countries that supported American operations in the early stages were mainly the Philippines,Singapore,Vietnam and other countries,while those that expressed opposition were Myanmar,Cambodia,Laos and other countries.In the later stage,most countries turned to speculative attitudes on both sides.Generally speaking,countries that are more closely related to the freedom of navigation operations in the South China Sea,have a greater degree of involvement,and have greater demand for the United States,their response is more positive.Southeast Asian countries have great disparity in their strengths,national systems are complex,and cultural identities are affected by many parties.In terms of legal factors,the ambiguity of the "United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea" on the freedom of navigation has led to a different understanding of Southeast Asian countries.In terms of intra-regional factors,the security cooperation mechanism in Southeast Asia is not perfect,and it has the characteristics of decentralization and inefficiency.In terms of extra-regional factors,Southeast Asian countries are simultaneously interfered by multiple external countries.These factors have collectively affected the policy choices of Southeast Asian countries,leading to their differently external responses.The different responses and attitude changes of Southeast Asian countries are a major breakthrough in China’s response to U.S.freedom of navigation operations in the South China Sea.