Some argue that external actors should refrain from getting involved, directly or indirectly, in the South China Sea issue and should simply allow China and Southeast Asian countries to settle their own differences. They say external actors simply “stir troubles” and turn the issue into a strategic competition inhibiting cooperation. Others contend that security issues concerning the South China Sea, a major trade route and choke point, are related to the peace and stability of the broader region, and that the involvement of the international community is essential in ensuring that the rule of law prevails, not coercion and force. This session will discuss this enduring foreign policy debate.