South China Sea expert Wu Shicun on Beijing’s red lines and responses

Wu Shicun, a leading expert on the South China Sea and founding president of China's National Institute for South China Sea Studies, outlines Beijing's potential responses to rival claimants in the strategically vital waters. In an interview, Wu delves into China's "red lines" and the challenges it faces amid intensifying maritime disputes.

With the Philippines, a key claimant, actively pursuing a "transparency" campaign, Wu discusses how China views the current situation and the obstacles it encounters. His insights provide a window into Beijing's strategic thinking and its approach to managing territorial conflicts in the region.

The interview, part of the SCMP Plus Open Questions series, aims to shed light on China's perspective on the complex geopolitical landscape of the South China Sea. Wu Shicun's expertise is crucial in understanding the nuances of Beijing's policies and its diplomatic and potentially assertive actions in asserting its claims.