Key facts
- Wu Shicun, president of the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, anticipates escalating tensions in the South China Sea.
- He expects increased provocations from Manila and potential confrontation with Hanoi.
- Wu advocates for China to adopt a harder stance against rival claimants.
- He accused the Philippines of attempting to occupy new maritime features and expand disputes.
- The deployment of a US missile system in the Philippines was cited as a destabilizing factor.
Wu Shicun, a prominent Chinese maritime analyst and founding president of the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, believes tensions in the South China Sea are likely to worsen. He anticipates further provocations from Manila, particularly after Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr shored up support in the midterm election. Wu also suggested that Hanoi could be the next claimant to confront Beijing, citing Vietnam’s increasing land reclamation activities in the Spratly Islands.