THe primary focus of this essay, as indicated in CLM 34, is Chinese assertiveness concerning U.S. political and military behaviour along China's maritime periphery. This topic inevitably also concerns Chinese behavior toward Japan, South Korea, and some ASEAN narions, given their status as both close security allies of the United States and maritime nations whose actions towards Beijing influence U.S. interests in the region (e.g., peace, stability, and freedom of navigation). Thus, this paper will examine Chinese actions along China's entire maritime periphery, from the Yellow Sea to the South China Sea, with regard to both disputed and undisputed maritime areas, as well as those recent official PRC diplomatic statements and legal submissions of relevance to such maritime behavior.