China Moving Soldiers to Disputed South China Sea Islands

In today’s New York Times, a detailed article notes that China’s Central Military Commission has approved “the deployment of a garrison of soldiers from the People’s Liberation Army to guard disputed islands claimed by China and Vietnam in the South China Sea.” This development is only going to ratchet tensions up even higher from the already sky-high level in the wake of the failed ASEAN foreign ministers’ meeting earlier this month.

In a new CFR Expert Brief, I analyze the current state of tensions in the South China Sea, examine where the dispute is headed in the near term, and discuss how all sides can cool the situation before it spirals completely out of control. Read it here.