This article examines Chinas behaviour in the South China Sea disputes through the lens of its strategy for managing its claims. 2013 The Philippines challenges Chinas claims of historic rights and other actions in an arbitration case under the Law of the Sea Convention. As sovereignty over the SCS involves Chinas economic, energy and national security interests it is highly likely that the increased projection of maritime power will continue. Chinas military modernization has included structural reforms establishing a Joint Operations Command and five new theatre commands (Northern, Eastern, Southern, Western and Central). The sea is rich in resources and holds significant strategic and political importance. Successful capacity building efforts will allow Southeast Asian states to better help themselves, bolstering deterrence against low-level Chinese coercion and allowing the U.S. military to focus more on deterring high-level contingencies. The neighboring South East Asian countries of the highly volatile and busiest waterways of the South China Sea (SCS) have overlapping claims of sovereignty. The South China Sea is a core interest of both Vietnam and China. This alignment will further U.S. goals: to continue to mount a forward defense, to keep the seas and skies free, and to promote prosperity and the spread of democracy. China is undertaking a persistent, long-term effort to establish control over the South China Sea. Examining Malaysia's Evolving Policy toward the South China Sea For example, targeted sanctions on Chinese companies involved in destabilizing activities could be considered. US and China is engaging in this sea to control all significance. As maritime security such as safety and freedom of . China's strategic reach into the South China Sea has obvious and profound implications for three sets of international actors: (1) the littoral Southeast Asian states (Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, and the Philippines); (2) major maritime countries heavily dependent on the sea lanes through the South China Sea (including Japan, Korea, and Australia and Vietnam established a Comprehensive Partnership in 2009 and agreed to expand it in 2015. Hence, the importance of the Trans-Pacific Partnership. 2009 China issues two diplomatic notes that appear to claim a majority of the South China Sea. The South China Sea is not only economically important for Malaysia as a maritime nation, but it is also as important from the perspective of national security. Washingtons relationship with Hanoi will make that more palatable. China sought access to natural resources, to political influence and to a strategic maritime position in the Bay of Bengal. Chinas rising military power and political influence is generating anxiety and suspicion among some of its neighbours and western powers. The geopolitical message was unmistakable: Western expectations that China was transitioning toward political democracy were entirely illusory. 5 min. The global focus of economic power has traditionally been centred over the west with the UK and the USA as the key contributors; however in recent years, this has shifted east (see Figure 1), with the main reason for this being rapid urbanization in developing countries, in particular China. 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Beware China: America Fights Back In recent years, China's inventive engineering feats have allowed it to. 2023 Center for Strategic & International Studies. Dispersed American forces would act as countermeasure and would complicate defense planning for the Chinese military and political calculations for Beijing, while ensuring U.S. forces are positioned to support each other in the event of a crisis. Check out the linked article on the Belt and road initiative now. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Preserving the U.S. military edge is key to maintaining the U.S. position in Asia. For example, the Spratly Islands are claimed in entirety by China, Taiwan and Vietnam and in part by Brunei, the Philippines and Malaysia; each except Brunei occupies some of the islands. In 1989 troops from the Peoples Liberation Army entered Tiananmen Square and terminated the student-led democracy demonstrations and hundreds died. The isolationist China has never traditionally had a deep water navy, with a significant power projection capability; however the production of its first aircraft carrier (Liaoning) has been a noteworthy change from a soft power in the land environment to a hard power projection at sea stance. Importantly, the Air Forces presence on Luzon, perhaps to be followed by regular naval rotations in Subic Bay, will put the United States in a better position to quickly seal up the Luzon Strait, which links the South China Sea to the Philippine Sea and the wider Pacific Ocean. And thus a new strategic map of Asia begins to emerge. The Strategic Importance of the South China Sea | Geollect In each of these arenas, a successful Chinese effort to seize control of the South China Sea will have a profound impact and each is worth elaboration. The 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea is an international treaty that sets out importantmaritime rules. But the South China Sea has been dangerously overfished. Geo-Strategic Importance of the South China Sea '3 reasons' China tries to control South China Sea - Anadolu Ajans the South China Sea that would be " - S " ["permitting a leaf to obscure one's view of the mountain"]. A U.S. Navy crewman aboard a P-8A Poseidon surveillance aircraft views a computer screen purportedly showing Chinese construction on the reclaimed land of Fiery Cross Reef in the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea in this still image from video provided by the United States Navy May 21, 2015. African community leaders take home lessons from U.S. The United States has an interest in seeing that these partners maintain their strategic autonomy, but capacity building efforts to help them resist coercion are not keeping pace with Chinas growing capabilities. In order to understand the contention of the South China Sea and its significance, it is firstly imperative to understand the geopolitical importance of Asia, which has given rise to Chinese pre-eminence; enabling its rise to contemporary major political power on the global stage. 1994 The Convention on the Law of the Sea goes into effect. Navy P-8s are now regularly deploying to Singapore and, although without regular access, they have conducted patrols from Malaysia as well. The most likely single scenario for a major military engagement against a great power adversary would be one against China centered on the South China Sea. How that competition will evolve remains to be seen, but the very fact of the contest should be understood as a reversal of fortune for China. South China Sea has strategic significance for world: US, Vietnam The strategically important South China Sea is an increasingly prominent stage for the spiraling tensions . Because of its location, this sea is extremely strategic because it connects the Indian and Pacific Oceans (Strait of Malacca). In 2012, Vietnam and the Philippines sought to consolidate their partnership and alliance with the US in order to enhance their strategic position over SCS disputes. Rough Waters Ahead for Vietnam-China Relations In April, Australian Defence Force personnel joined the U.S.-Philippines Balikatan maneuvers, which included an amphibious landing exercise. Why is the South China Sea so important to the US? The Malacca Strait, the South China Sea and the Sino-American Last year, the construction projects covered 72 acres. US still mired in a 'Cold War' mindset, but the tide's turning, The West is misreading Chinas Party Congress at the peril of world stability, Can Foreign Investors still have Good Reasons to be Optimistic about China? Geopolitical and Strategic Landscape of South China Sea In addition, this thesis intends to propose a solution to the dispute by pulling from a variety of sources. What is more important from a strategic viewpoint, however, is that global energy projections that the EIA issues in the International Energy Outlook, issued in October 2021, make it clear that China and Asia will have a sharply growing dependence on MENA and Gulf petroleum exports that may well extend through 2050. According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), it carries one-third of global shipping, carrying trillions of dollars in trade, making it a significant geopolitical water body. The primary challenge to American regional predominance came from Maoist China first through the Korean War and then via communist insurgencies throughout Southeast Asia culminating in the Vietnam War (1963-75). Inconsistent messaging and policiesincluding on freedom of navigation and routine presence operationshave also led to confusion in the region. During the George W. Bush administration, U.S. forces in the Philippines were focused primarily on aiding the Philippine military in its counterterror fight. 1. Geographical Significance and Natural Reserves in the South China Sea "First, South China Sea is important for the strategic patrol of Chinese SSBN [nuclear ballistic missile submarine], which needs to enter west Pacific Ocean for its nuclear deterrence against the US," he explained. f) . The South China Sea: What's Really at Issue Strategic Culture This segment will address American interests. 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Sign up to receive The Evening, a daily brief on the news, events, and people shaping the world of international affairs. In such a complex environment, it is important to have well-established, recognizable rules of international law. Chinese Naval Strategy in the South China Sea: An Abundance of Noise But as it does so, it acts as midwife to a very real strategic realignment in Southeast Asia, one which promises to benefit the United States and its partners. Journals and books. The same cannot be said for China and a maritime Southeast Asia that aligns with the United States. The South China Sea is a strategic body of water bordering Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Viet Nam and China. Why Is the South China Sea Important? - Money Morning Sun Tzu Explains China's Shaping Operations in the South China Sea U.S. interests in the South China Sea fall into three broad categories including: (1) Economic interests tied to the sea-lanes; (2) Defense ties with allies and other security partners; and (3) Implications for the global balance of power and influence. She also observed that the sea-lanes through the South China Sea constituted a global commons not subject to sovereign claims by any nation. Sun Tzu Explains China's Shaping Operations in the South China Sea. Now, the two militaries will increasingly exercise and train across a broad spectrum of military operations, from the low end to the high. India will lose its current freedom of access into the South China Sea and much of Southeast Asia. The South China Sea is the gateway to access to the world ocean, the nexus for navigation as well as a security fence for several littoral states. The Strategic Importance of the South China Sea - LinkedIn Under President Xi Jinping, Beijing has undertaken more assertive policies that have greatly improved Beijings position in the South China Sea. Second, the United States should feel comfortable adopting a patient approach in pushing a return to full democracy in Thailand. China is working hard to bring under its control the water, islands, rocks and reefs that sit within its imaginary nine-dash line. As the new administration sets out to revamp U.S. strategy in the South China Sea, it should keep the following guidelines in mind: Although Chinese cooperation is necessary to address some regional and global issuessuch as North Koreas belligerent behavior and climate changethe United States should not be held hostage by concerns that a more robust deterrence strategy will thwart bilateral cooperation. The United States has formally objected to Chinas South China Sea maritime claims. What has been happening in the South China Sea and what do experts Southeast Asians do not want to and should not have to choose between the two, but Chinese behavior is moving some states to pick sidesor at least to lean in one direction or another. India is training crews for Vietnams new Kilo-class submarines and will sell Vietnam BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles. In the near term, this could lead to sales of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance equipment as well as patrol boats to allow Hanoi to better keep an eye on goings-on in the western South China Sea. The South China Sea in Strategic Terms | Wilson Center Chinas island outposts will increase this advantage as Chinese aircraft, ships, and paramilitary vessels will be able to rest and resupply in the southern portion of the South China Sea. But addressing the risks of its near seas means tackling the time-consuming and costly project of building, training and deploying a stronger blue-water navy while also establishing a greater . The diplomatic tempest at the ARF came when U.S. security attention was preoccupied with ongoing military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq as well as the global counterterrorism campaign with Osama bin Laden still at large. Not taking a position on sovereignty allows the United States to flexibly intervene in the South China Sea to defend its interests and international rules and norms, while undercutting Chinese attempts to paint U.S. actions as a threat to Beijings sovereignty. These women are creating climate solutions, One year later: Democracy stands in Ukraine. However, there were a number of reasons to conclude that the line was no cartographic anomaly; it was an official indication of Beijings contention that the sovereign territory of China included the South China Sea. Almost all the East Asian countries are dependent on this sea. It will always have an eye on the need to protect itself against attack from the sea, but there's much more to China's vulnerability than potential invasion or bombardment. Japanese Expert Explains Why China Wants Absolute Control Over The In the contemporary era, Taiwan remains geographically at the intersection of most of East Asia's danger points. China's New Pressure on Taiwan in the South China Sea Tokyo and Manila agreed to a strategic partnership in 2011. - Interview with Mei Gechlik, Pelosi's visit to Taiwan Spiking Tensions Between the U.S. and China: an interview with Andrew K.P. director of the South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative at Peking . The Thai people are lurching towards a new political arrangement, a process that Thais have to see through for themselves. If Chinese coercion goes unchallenged by the United States, it will send a dangerous signal about the strength of the U.S. alliance system and lessen the appeal of the United States as a security partner. Current developments in the South China Sea must be understood against the backdrop of recent history. Washington, DC 20036. The South China Sea (SCS) has great strategic and economic significance in the contemporary international politico-security environment. U.S. leaders should not be afraid of tension in the U.S.-China relationship. Such access would complement the renewed U.S. presence in the Philippines; facilitate a regular American presence in the western part of the South China Sea; enable the United States to more easily defendor seal upthe Malacca Strait; and, it should be noted, put American forces within striking distance of major Chinese bases on Hainan, including port facilities that host Chinas ballistic missile submarines. The conflict and tension over competing sovereignty claims in the South China Sea has grown considerably in the past 5-10 years. China has adopted an increasingly assertive posture towards its own claims by elevating it to a core interest, strengthening its fishery law enforcement and building civilian and military facilities in the disputed islands and waters. These factors combined give a strategic importance to the South China Sea that has led to numerous states Brunei, the People's Republic of China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam each pressing their own claims to . The USSJohn C. Stennistied up there for a few days in April. The strategic landscape of the Western Pacific and Southeast Asia in the early 1990s was remarkably benign with optimism in full flower. Diplomatic, informational, legal, and economic responses are currently underrepresented in U.S. China policy, and their incorporation into the policy toolkit will be important for successfully dissuading China over the long-term. TheSouth China Seais one of the most important economic and environmental regions in the world. Does US-hegemonic decline translate into a fight between democracy and autocracy in maintaining a benign world order? The result has been to heighten tensions and allow Chinese forces to more easily project military power across the region. WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump and his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Xuan Phuc said the disputed South China Sea has a strategic significance for the international community and any "unlawful" restriction on the freedom of the seas will destabilise peace in the Asia-Pacific region. The USA have a direct connection to the area through various allies, connections and trade, and this will naturally continue. South China Sea, Dispute, Map, Countries, Strategic Importance Speaking to Anadolu Agency on Thursday, Bonji Ohara, a senior fellow at the Tokyo-based Sasakawa Peace Foundation, said the marginal sea is key to China's security. Beijing has also been careful to avoid estranging Aung San Suu Kyi and adopted a largely pragmatic approach to the countrys transition away from authoritarian rule. The second will analyze the strategic landscape in and around the South China Sea. In recent years, Chinas inventive engineering feats have allowed it to create more than 3,200 acres of new land in the South China Sea. Since 2014, China has stepped up the construction of artificial islands over the disputed Spratlys and Paracels in the SCS, causing an escalation of tensions, upsetting stability. The South China Sea is one of the most important trade pathways in the world. That grouping came under Chinese control an event that went almost entirely unnoticed in the wider world as the drama marking the end of the Vietnam War played out. The United States has several enduring advantages that make regional states continue to seek it out as the security partner of choice, including the worlds best military, high favorability ratings in most local populations, and a less threatening foreign policy than that of China. South China Sea - Economic aspects | Britannica Cross-Strait relations: The strategic importance of Taiwan The United States calls this treaty the Law of the Sea Convention.. Countries across the region prioritized economic growth and modernization. As . China's actions in the SCSincluding extensive . Walter Lohman hasdescribedCobra Gold as an achievement that has proved useful for military missions, such as joint patrols of vital sea lanes, and noncombat missions, such as disaster relief following the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and the 2008 Cyclone Nargis in Burma.. A South China Sea Strategy | American Enterprise Institute - AEI According to the U.S. State Department, it has been estimated that China is effectively blocking the development of $2.5 trillion worth of oil and gas resources in the South China Sea. These islands are large enough for military runways and well as SAM installations. Tackling these issues will be tricky for the United States, as many of the elites that benefit from corruption will be those with whom Washington must work to deepen ties, but this is a long-term effort worth pursuing. First, the United States should feel more confident to pressure the junta on human rights concerns. The South China Sea, or South East Asian Sea, is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean.It is bounded in the north by the shores of South China (hence the name), in the west by the Indochinese Peninsula, in the east by the islands of Taiwan and northwestern Philippines (mainly Luzon, Mindoro and Palawan), and in the south by Borneo, eastern Sumatra and the Bangka Belitung Islands . This is the first of three short essays examining the South China Sea as a first order strategic problem for the United States. Michael Green, Senior Vice President for Asia and Japan Chair; Dr. Zack Cooper, Fellow, Japan Chair; Bonnie Glaser, Senior Adviser for Asia and Director, China Power Project; Andrew Shearer, Senior Adviser on Asia-Pacific Security; and Greg Poling, Director Asia Maritime Transparency Initiativeto provide the analytical context and some fundamental principles that should guide strategic thinking on South China Sea policy. 1982 More than 160 nations conclude the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, an international treaty setting out the framework governing the oceans and their uses. In addition, tensions have been raised with the Philippines after assertive Chinese naval patrols which they described as aggressive action. In short, adopting a more robust deterrence approach need not prevent cooperation that is in the interests of both countries. Improved governance will lead to stronger economies over the long term and dampen the influence of Chinese dirty money. Talks are focused on articles that are relevant to disaster relief, but the agreements eventual parameters could expand as the U.S.-Vietnam security relationship matures. Besides, more than half of the world's fishing vessels pass through the SCS. Situation in the South China Sea - ASEAN Main Portal The credibility of U.S. security support for allies and partners will be shredded. Australia will be isolated with an uncertain future. PDF The Strategic Importance of South China Sea - World Geostrategic Insights Currently, President Xi Jinping makes frequent references to Chinas possession of the South China Sea since ancient times an assertion that lacks any validity historically or legally. Any temptation to alter U.S. policies in the South China Sea to preserve cooperation with China in other areas is unnecessary and potentially counterproductive. Security, Strategy, and Military Dynamics in South China Sea: Cross In sum, the United States has built and maintained a dense network of security links and obligations throughout East and Southeast Asia all sustained by regular contact with the Seventh Fleet as it transits the region via the South China Sea. Center for Strategic and International Studies . India has proactively engaged in the South China Sea (SCS), notably via boosting its naval presence and forging ties with Vietnam despite China's aggression. Why does China care so much about the South China Sea? 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