What are Australia's national security interests in the South China Sea?

This paper examines Australia's national security interests in the South China Sea. It notes that a number of states lay claim to various islands in the region, and that territorial disputes over those claims have occasionally erupted into armed conflict in the past. The paper contends that China's more recent behaviour in asserting its claim is unsettling the region and heightening strategic competition between China and the US, particularly regarding freedom of navigation through the South China Sea.

The paper explores two key interests: first, the maintenance of a rules-based international order, especially in a contested and strategically-located area so close to Australia's diplomatic, economic and military interests; and second, in ensuring continued and free access to the 'global commons'. It concludes that Australia has real and tangible national security interests in the South China Sea that will become increasingly significant across the next decade, not least because Australia's interests are closely aligned with those of the US, which potentially could involve aiding the US in the event of conflict.

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