Domestic Politics and the Institutionalization of the South China Sea Issue: Bilateral Policy Coordination in Sino-Vietnamese and Sino-Philippines Relations

    Abstract: Analysis of Sino-Vietnamese and SinoPhilippines policy coordination around the South China Sea indicates that the three states demonstrate strong prospects for cooperation on functional issues. The problem with functional issues is that contradictions tend to emerge around them, and as long as different views persist with respect to sovereignty, fears of an inequitable distribution of benefits over resources result in a deeply instable political foundation for cooperation. The level of bi-lateral institutionalization between China and Vietnam over the South China Sea is higher than that between China and the Philippines, the reason being that China and Vietnam have much closer and deeper relations, and their experience and successes in developing joint institutions around other issues spills over into the issue of the South China Sea. Understanding the difference of the South China Sea policies between Vietnam and the Philippines also requires consideration of the domestic politics and economy of the two countries. The governments of both Vietnam and the Philippines face challenges from domestic interest groups and various administrative authorities. It is expected that continued pluralization of interests in these countries will create greater difficulties for coordinating policy on the South China Sea.

    Author: Zhong Feiteng is an Associate Professer in National Institute of International Strategy of the Chinese Academy of Social Science