China’s Maritime Ambition, Security Dilemma and Lack of Multilateral Framework

The security environment of the South China Sea has been disrupted as China strengthens its efforts at maritime ambition. The recent security situation in the Asia-Pacific, particularly the South China Sea, is characterised by arms building and balancing against China. It raises the possibility of conflict. For securing stability and peace, it is time to bring multilateralism back in, since a multilateral security framework contributes to taking the edge off power politics. However, there is no reliable multilateral framework to deal with the declining maritime security environment. This article highlights the lack of a multilateral framework and suggests an eclectic approach to multilateralism for securing the Asia-Pacific maritime order.