CONFLICT IN EAST, SOUTH CHINA SEAS

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Context:

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman accused the U.S. of pooling together countries to muster military and security cooperation under the pretext of maritime issues to contain China by peddling the China threat narrative.

What are the ongoing issues?

China’s claim

China's sweeping claims - which include sovereignty claims over land parcels and their adjacent waters have angered competing claimants like Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei.

China has constructed ports, military installations, and airstrips—particularly in the Paracel and Spratly Islands. China has militarized Woody Island by deploying fighter jets, cruise missiles, and a radar system.

China has been actively pushing its claims in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of the Philippines. Since 2022, tensions between China and the Philippines have been rising due to a significant increase in the frequency of such incidents.

The other countries have staked claims on islands and various zones in the sea, such as the Paracels and the Spratlys.

USA’s and China tussle

China has backed its expansive claims with island-building and naval patrols. The US says it does not take sides in territorial disputes but has sent military ships and planes near disputed islands in what it calls "freedom of navigation" operations.

China maintains that, under international law, foreign militaries cannot conduct intelligence-gathering activities, such as reconnaissance flights, in its exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

But United States is claiming that, claimant countries, under the UN Convention of the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), should have freedom of navigation through EEZs in the sea and are not required to notify claimants of military activities.

Japan’s involvement

Japan, which has no direct stake in the South China Sea, also provides ships and military equipment to claimants like Vietnam and the Philippines to deter Chinese aggression.

Philippines’s claim

The other major claimant to the area is the Philippines, which invokes its geographical proximity to the Spratly Islands as the main basis of its claim for part of the grouping. Both the Philippines and China also lay claim to the Scarborough Shoal (known as Huangyan Island in China) - a little more than 100 miles (160km) from the Philippines and 500 miles from China.

Malaysia and Brunei

Malaysia and Brunei also lay claim to territory in the South China Sea that they say falls within their economic exclusion zones, as defined by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, or UNCLOS. Brunei does not claim any of the disputed islands, but Malaysia claims a small number of islands in the Spratlys.

Why the presence in these seas is so significant?

Important trade Route: The South China Sea is a major shipping route. The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development estimates that over 21% of global trade, amounting to $3.37 trillion, transited through these waters in 2016.

Global digital economy: Taiwan Strait is a critical maritime choke point. The region is home to undersea cables that are important for the global digital economy.

Livelihood: It is also home to rich fishing grounds that provide for the livelihoods of millions of people across the region. More than half of the world's fishing vessels operate in this area.

Natural resources: Although largely uninhabited, the Paracels and the Spratlys may have reserves of natural resources around them. 10 billion barrels of petroleum and petroleum products and 6.7 trillion cubic feet of liquefied natural gas passed through the South China Sea. It is also home to vast reserves of untapped oil and natural gas.

Negotiations

Bilateral negotiations: China prefers bilateral negotiations with the other parties. But many of its neighbours argue that China's relative size and clout give it an unfair advantage.

Negotiation through ASEAN: Some countries have argued that China should negotiate with ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations), a 10-member regional grouping that consists of Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Brunei, Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar and Cambodia. However, China is opposed to this, while ASEAN is also divided over how to resolve the dispute.

International arbitration:  The Philippines has sought international arbitration instead. In 2013, it announced it would take China to an arbitration tribunal under the auspices of the UN Convention on the Laws of the Sea, to challenge its claims. In July 2016, the tribunal backed the Philippines' case, saying China had violated the Philippines' sovereign rights. China had boycotted the proceedings and called the ruling "ill-founded". It says it will not be bound by it.

Conclusion

For better understanding whether a resolution of the dispute in the South China Sea at least soon is possible, it is required to re-examine regional and international actors which could contribute to mitigating the tensions and to ending off the conflict by offering a solution.

Must read articles:

South China Sea Conflict: https://www.iasgyan.in/daily-current-affairs/south-china-sea-conflict

India’s role: https://www.iasgyan.in/daily-current-affairs/south-china-dispute

South China Sea Tensions: https://www.iasgyan.in/daily-current-affairs/south-china-sea-tensions

Source:

https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/storms-brewing-in-east-south-china-seas-explained/article68685920.ece

https://behorizon.org/the-conflict-in-the-south-china-sea-a-focus-on-a-possible-solution/