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The Risks of U.S. Deep-Sea Mining

The United States has begun taking steps to secure its access to seabed minerals. But U.S. unilateral mining on the high seas poses grave risks to the rules-based regional order.

Commentary by Harrison Prétat and Monica Sato — August 26, 2025

China and Vietnam Are Driving Reef Destruction in the South China Sea

Claimants in the South China Sea have created thousands of acres of artificial land to support their competing claims, causing irreparable damage to the marine habitat and leading to calls for international legal action against environmentally destructive practices.

Analysis by Harrison Prétat, Monica Sato, and Gregory B. Poling — January 30, 2025

Manila and Beijing Clarify Select South China Sea Claims

The Philippines’ passage of two new maritime laws and China’s publication of baselines around Scarborough Shoal are the latest in a series of legal developments in the South China Sea. But how will clarifying claims affect tensions in disputed waters?

Critical Questions by Harrison Prétat and Gregory B. Poling — November 21, 2024

Energy Security and the U.S.-Philippine Alliance

The Philippines’ fragile energy outlook threatens to undermine allied efforts to secure its strategic autonomy vis-à-vis an assertive China.

Brief by Harrison Prétat, Yasir Atalan, Gregory B. Poling, and Benjamin Jensen — October 21, 2024

Deep Blue Scars: Environmental Threats to the South China Sea

A hidden crisis is unfolding in the South China Sea. As claimants maneuver to strengthen their control over disputed waters, the marine environment has suffered untold damage from overfishing, dredging, and giant clam harvesting.

Digital Report by Monica Sato, Harrison Prétat, and Gregory B. Poling — December 18, 2023

Pulling Back the Curtain on China’s Maritime Militia

The CSIS Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative and the Center for Advanced Defense Studies present the most comprehensive study to date of the structure, subsidies, and ownership networks of China’s maritime militia in the South China Sea.

Report by Gregory B. Poling, Harrison Prétat, Tabitha Grace Mallory , and Center for Advanced Defense Studies — November 18, 2021