The South China Sea is often framed through moments of visible confrontation, with ships colliding, coast guard standoffs, diplomatic protests, and arbitration rulings that briefly capture global attention before fading from the headlines. But this episodic visibility marks a deeper and more consequential transformation in the strategic behavior of the region’s actors. 

In a detailed interview with The Vietnamese Magazine, Gregory Poling, director of the Southeast Asia Program and Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), argues that one of the most significant yet underappreciated developments today is Việt Nam’s gradual transition from a primarily coastal defender to a forward-operating maritime power in the Spratly Islands.