The Importance of Evidence: Facts, Fiction and the South China Sea

China’s rise has changed the global balance of power, and one place to feel the strain is in Beijing’s back yard: the South China Sea.  For decades tensions have smoldered in the region, but today the threat of a direct confrontation among superpowers grows ever more likely. Bill Hayton, a journalist with extensive experience in the region, examined the quality of the evidence behind the claims to the South China Sea at a National Committee event on April 7, 2015 in New York City.  These claims originated in debates in the 1930s; the claims have been repeated ever since without consideration of their basis in fact. The high stakes involve regional rivals including India, Taiwan, the Philippines, and China, as well as the United States, Russia and others.