What is being done to resolve the disputes?
One of the largest impasses to a resolution is China's insistence on conducting most of its diplomacy on a bilateral basis, wrote CFR's Stewart Patrick. Nationalism has also fueled many of these stalemates. International tribunals, like the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, are available, but nations use it selectively in light of the potential domestic political ramifications of appearing conciliatory. China also has repeatedly rejected the mechanisms for arbitration provided by the UN.