Disputes among nations are seldom insoluble. However, resolving inter-state problems requires agreement among the conflicting parties on what the nature of the problem is, and whether it should be addressed through direct negotiations or through legal arbitration. Solutions can be expedited when the parties are willing to offer concessions and reach compromises. Unfortunately these conditions render the South China Sea dispute particularly intractable. Defining the nature of the dispute is problematic because China’s nine-dash line is ambiguous and incompatible with UNCLOS. Because most of the claimants were once victims of Western or Japanese colonialism, sovereignty is an ultrasensitive issue and governments must endeavour to uphold the country’s sovereignty claims or else be perceived by nationalists —and the other claimants— as being weak. None of the claimants have engaged in serious bilateral discussions and legal avenues are currently closed —at least on the sovereignty issue— because Beijing eschews legal arbitration.