Unlike most accounts of China’s international behavior, which are often Chinese-centric or interpret it in relation to a small number of global powers, this multi-year study examines the actions of China’s partners in all regions of Asia, and the ways in which these stakeholders' initiatives and reactions have shaped Chinese foreign policy and the outcomes of its engagement with other countries.

The Southeast Asian nations involved in the complex disputes over sovereignty in the South China Sea have failed to settle their own differences with one another, while Washington has not done much to check Beijing’s ambitions in the area. This project explores what regional stakeholders and the United States can and should do about the situation in the strategic and disputed waterway.