In an opinion piece by writer James Borton discussed how China and Vietnam, both rivals in the contested South China Sea (SCS), have now embarked on a new era for ocean science with the potential for maritime cooperation. And while there has been some marine-science cooperation between China and Southeast Asian countries, the scale remains limited. “I am skeptical that such cooperation will significantly expand in the coming years since the disputes in the South China Sea serve as a huge obstacle for such cooperation,” said Associate Professor Li Mingjiang at RSIS.