| Abstract: | This paper adopts the local government as a unit of inquiry for understanding the South China Sea problem. It examines the case of Hainan Province, which was designated by the central government of China to administer its claims to ownership of natural resources in the disputed waters. It investigates the political economy of the interactions between the national government of China and the provincial government of Hainan in pursuing China's agenda of exploiting resources, fisheries in particular, in the South China Sea waters. It then considers the implications of such findings for considering the international political economy of the South China Sea problem. |
