Counter-Lawfare Effective INDOPACOM Strategy to Counter Chinese Maritime Expansionism in the South China Sea

The current U.S. strategy in the South China Sea is not effectively countering Chinas gray space operations and will continue to have decreasing efficiency as China expands its maritime domain through gradual, below the use of force tactics. So why is China so successful in its subtle yet aggressive accumulation of territory in the South China Sea (SCS) and what can U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) do to address this threat in the future? Chinas successful maritime expansion in the South China Sea can be partly attributed to its use of lawfare and INDOPACOM should implement a counter-lawfare strategy that: reinforces the State Departments efforts to resolve territorial jurisdiction in the SCS, stand up a combined joint task force in the SCS to preserve operability, and broaden the current Freedom of Navigation Operations (FONOPs) program to include a more holistic approach.