A robust yet accessible history of US involvement in the world's most dangerous waterway, and a guide for what to do about it. Lamentations that the United States is "losing" the South China Sea to China are now common. China has rapidly militarized islands and reefs, projects power across the disputed waterway, and freely harasses US allies and partners. The US has been unable to halt these processes or convince Beijing to respect the rights of smaller neighbors. But what exactly would "losing" mean? In On Dangerous Ground, Gregory B. Poling evaluates US interests in the world's most complex and dangerous maritime disputes by examining more than a century of American involvement in the South China Sea. He focuses on how the disputes there intersected and eventually intertwined with the longstanding US commitment to freedom of the seas and its evolving alliance network in Asia. He shows that these abiding national interests--defense of maritime rights and commitment to allies, particularly the Philippines--have repeatedly pulled US attention to the South China Sea. Understanding how and why is critical if the US and its allies hope to chart a course through the increasingly fraught disputes, while facing a more assertive, more capable, and far less compromising China. With an emphasis on decisions made not just in Washington and Beijing, but also in Manila and other Southeast Asian capitals, On Dangerous Ground seeks to correct the record and balance the China-centric narrative that has come to dominate the issue. It not only provides the most comprehensive account yet of America's history in the South China Sea, but it also demonstrates how that history should inform US national security policy in one of the most important waterways in the world.

About the Author
Gregory B. Poling directs the Southeast Asia Program and Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, DC. He is a leading expert on the South China Sea disputes and conducts research on US alliances and partnerships, democratization and governance in Southeast Asia, and maritime security across the Indo-Pacific. He is the author or coauthor of works on the South China Sea and US relations with Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, and Southeast Asia at large. His writings have been featured in Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, The Wall Street Journal, and the Naval War College Review, among others.

Reviews
In this clear, well-written account, Poling (Center for Strategic and International Studies) examines the recent history of the United States in the South China Sea, and argues against the narrative that the US has already lost the region to China. * T. Anderson, CHOICE *
The book provides a very illuminating and useful account of the discussions, arguments, and occasional public shouting matches over the meaning of the Mutual Defence Treaty between the US and the Philippines. * Bill Hayton, Asian Affairs *
Poling's book provides an interesting historical read and an essential text for understanding a key zone of international conflict. * Walter Clemens, New York Journal of Books *
Greg Poling has written a book that anyone serious about understanding the background, status and implications of the South China Sea dispute will need to read carefully and retain for further reference. * Robert Sutter, Contemporary Southeast Asia *
This is a fundamental book for understanding one of the most salient issues roiling relations between China, its neighbors to the south and east, and the United States. * Walter Clemens, Harvard University, New York Journal of Books *
Excellent, timely, and needed. A must-read if you care about the South China Sea-its history, why it matters, and how the U.S. and the PRC could come to blows over it. * Admiral Harry Harris (Retired), 24th Commander, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and former U.S. Ambassador to South Korea *
Gregory Poling's in-depth, incisive, masterful and comprehensive historical analysis of the evolving interests of various parties in the South China Sea especially the United States are truly amazing. The book is a must-read for all foreign policy-makers, practitioners, decision-makers, geo-political analysts, and students who are engaged, learning and trying to understand the complex South China Sea. * Ambassador Albert del Rosario, Former Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs *
In this lively, lucid, and deeply researched book, Poling has written the definitive account of how the United States became involved in the South China Sea and how its policy has evolved over the past century. Anyone interested in the past, present, or future of these disputed waters should read this book- a terrific contribution to the literature. * M. Taylor Fravel, Arthur and Ruth Sloan Professor of Political Science and Director of the Security Studies Program, Massachusetts Institute of Technology *
On Dangerous Ground offers a valuable and timely corrective to the common tendency to view strife in this vital waterway solely in terms of the great powers...powerful and well-informed study of the last century of geopolitical struggle in the maritime heart of the region. * Isaac B. Kardon, Naval War College Review *
Gregory Poling has combed through archives to produce a valuable history of growing conflict over the body of water that not only contains seafood and undersea oil and minerals but is a vital line of communications. His research has unearthed many new insights that place the evolving US policy in a new light. * Nayan Chanda, Global Asia *



Book Information
ISBN 9780197633984
Author Gregory B. Poling
Format Hardback
Page Count 304
Imprint Oxford University Press Inc
Publisher Oxford University Press Inc
Weight(grams) 706g
Dimensions(mm) 242mm * 163mm * 27mm