Transitional Security Pattern in the South China Sea and the Involvement of External Parties

The South China Sea (SCS) is an area of strategic value to the surrounding countries and also to some outsiders. For that reason the SCS issue is now becoming a major problem affecting regional security. In recent year, the overall situation in the SCS region has remained stable, but there are still some uncertain factors that may have an impact on regional security. Since the end of the Cold War, some external parties, such as the United States, Japan, and India, have focused their attention on Southeast Asia and strengthened their political, economic, and military relations with some members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) With this development, the regional security pattern has entered a period of transition. China is trapped in a security dilemma in the SCS, and China's behavior there will be a litmus test for Beijing s claim that its rise to the status of a regional and global power will be a peaceful one.