On October 17, the Foundation hosted a Capitol Hill Asia Policy Dialogue with Dr. Richard Bush (Director, Center for Northeast Asia Policy Studies and Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution) discussing “Maritime Disputes in East Asia and How They Affect U.S. Interests.” Dr. Bush’s remarks, which were off-the-record, raised five important questions when analyzing maritime disputes in Asia: 1) Who owns the land forms? 2) What is the type of land form? 3) What type of behavior is occurring in maritime areas? 4) What right does the U.S. have to operate in the exclusive economic zones of other countries? and 5) What are the strategic drivers behind maritime disputes? While the United States takes no position on territorial disputes it places significant emphasis on the need to follow international law regarding resource exploitation and to exercise restraint on maritime operations.