High-level DC confab dissecting West PH Sea and US policy

The Center for Strategic Studies headquarters where conference on West Philippine Sea and US policy is taking place

WASHINGTON, DC – A two-day conference with a select and high-level group of experts from government and academe is currently exploring the South China Sea tensions and US policy on July 10-11.

“Recent Trends in the South China Sea and U.S. Policy” is being held at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), the host, at 1616 Rhode Island Ave, NW, Washington, DC.

Speaking are Mike Rogers (R-Michigan),  chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, senior administration officials and an all-star lineup of South China Sea and legal experts, including representatives from Australia, Canada, China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, the United Kingdom, and Vietnam.

New Philippine Consul General in San Francisco Henry S. Bensurto, a highly respected expert on maritime security is representing the Philippines

The conference puts a spotlight on recent developments in the conflicting claims over islands and shoals in the South China Sea. It is assessing the roles of outside powers in the conflict with a special focus on U.S. policy options for responding to the tensions.

The conference includes a simulation featuring U.S. responses to a hypothetical crisis in the South China Sea.