"The tension between freedom and sovereign claims continues to characterise the evolution of the law of the sea. In September 2018, the American guided missile destroyer USS Decatur and a Chinese warship almost collided in the South China Sea, getting asclose to each other as 40 meters. The Decatur had just sailed within twelve nautical miles off two reefs in the Spratly chain of islets as part of the United States' operations intended to enforce the right of free passage in international waters (fonop).1 These two reefs are claimed by China, Taiwan, Vietnam, and the Philippines. Similar incidents continue to occur in the waters of the South China Sea"-- Provided by publisher.
This book re-evaluates the history of the law of the sea from the late Middle Ages to the early modern period, balancing the prevailing Grotius-centric narrative with a broader, multi-regional perspective on legal and political claims over maritime spaces.
