THE ORGINS OF THE SOUTH CHINA SEA DISPUTES: HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES Most of the disputes in the South China Sea have existed for quite a while. This session examines the activities of claimants and stakeholders throughout history to trace the origin and evolution of the territorial and maritime disputes in the South China Sea. Who claims what in the South China Sea and since when? What were the factors driving the claimants’ interests in offshore territories? How have major powers got involved in the South China Sea? How have the courses of their national development influenced the South China Sea coastal countries’ maritime policies? How have maritime aspirations been incorporated into national narratives and geopolitical considerations to inform the policies of regional and extra-regional states in the South China Sea? • Dr. Ulises Granados, Coordinator of Asia-Pacific Studies, The Autonomous Technology Institute of Mexico “The Evolution of the South China Sea Disputes: Notes from a Historian” • Dr. Gerard Sasges, Assistant Professor, Department of Southeast Asian Studies, National University of Singapore “The Past and Present of Marine Science in the South China Sea” • Dr. François-Xavier Bonnet, French Institute for Research on Contemporary Southeast Asia (Irasec) “Geopolitics of the Spratly Islands: Of secret Sea-lanes and Submarines” • Mr. Bill Hayton, Associate Fellow, Chatham House (the Royal Institute for International Affairs), London, UK “From the Paracels to the Spratlys: the expansion of China’s South China Sea claim 1933-1946”