Escalating tensions between China, the Philippines, and the United States in the South China Sea are causing concern. China has transformed Mischief Reef into a military base, while the Philippines has responded by intentionally grounding the decommissioned warship Sierra Madre. The question arises: why is China so fixated on the South China Sea? And why is this area significant not only for the Philippines but also for the United States and Korea?
The South China Sea: A Crucial Maritime Zone
To understand the magnitude of the South China Sea dispute, let us examine the scale of this vast ocean region. Spanning 3 million square kilometers, it is 1.5 times larger than the Mediterranean Sea. However, the South China Sea is home to numerous countries, including Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines, and China. Each nation maintains exclusive economic zones that overlap in a complex manner. China’s claims are unique as it asserts control over a significant portion of the South China Sea, often depicted as a cow’s tongue-shaped area known as the nine-dash line. According to this claim, over 80% of the South China Sea belongs to China.
Jay Tariella | Spokesman, Philippine Coast Guard
Look at China’s nine-dash line. It encroaches upon nearly every exclusive economic zone in the West Philippine Sea.
Remarkably, China’s nine-dash line stretches roughly 1,800 kilometers away from its southern island of Hainan. While few countries acknowledge the legitimacy of this claim, including the United States and Southeast Asian nations, China persists in its assertion.
Jaehyun Lee │ Senior Research Fellow, Asan Institute for Policy Studies
Under international law, the creation of artificial islands does not confer recognition. Yet, China continues to expand its presence, utilizing the potential to later declare territorial or economic control over the area.
China’s audacious behavior is facilitated by the construction of artificial islands. They have established 20 such islands in the Paracel Islands and 7 in the Spratly Islands, which now serve as military bases. These reclaimed territories provide the foundation for China’s claim of sovereignty over the majority of the South China Sea. The construction of these artificial islands began in the 1970s, coinciding with China’s emergence as a global power.
Jay Tariella │ Spokesman, Philippine Coast Guard
This exclusive economic zone belongs to the Philippines, and we hold sovereignty over it. We have the right to explore and exploit its resources, including crude oil.
However, China’s claim lacks a legal foundation. In 2016, the Permanent Court of International Arbitration explicitly stated that the expansion of territorial waters through the construction of artificial islands is unjustifiable. Nonetheless, China chose to disregard this ruling.
Jaehyun Lee │ Senior Research Fellow, Asan Institute for Policy Studies
Even if artificially created structures exist, they do not carry international legal recognition. However, China persists in expanding its presence, potentially setting the stage for future territorial or economic proclamations.
Analogously, while the Great Wall served the ancient Chinese dynasty of Qin, modern China has constructed a “Sand Wall” in the South China Sea. This metaphorical barrier impedes neighboring countries’ access to the sea, ensuring China’s control over this strategic region.
Jay Tariella │ Spokesman, Philippine Coast Guard
If we accept China’s claimed nine-dash line as valid, it would impact all ASEAN countries, including Korea, Japan, the Philippines, and Taiwan.
Why is the South China Sea Irreplaceable?
The South China Sea holds immense strategic significance for China, making it an area from which it cannot retreat. From China’s perspective, potential expansion routes by sea towards Korea are promptly blocked by their presence in the South China Sea. If one were to venture through the central area, Taiwan acts as another obstructive force.
As the South China Sea dispute continues to unfold, the implications extend beyond the immediate stakeholders. International actors, including the United States and ASEAN countries, are closely monitoring the situation due to its potential impact on regional stability and economic interests.
Kim Soo-hyung, Reporter sean@sbs.co.kr
Tensions between China, the Philippines and the United States over the South China Sea are intensifying. China is showing its maritime power by turning Mischief Reef into a military base, and the Philippines is confronting it by deliberately running the decommissioned warship Sierra Madre aground. Why is China so obsessed with the South China Sea? Also, why is this place important not only to the Philippines but also to the United States and Korea?
The sea 1800km away is also a Chinese sea … A reckless ‘group line’
Should we look at a map of the entire South China Sea? The entire South China Sea is 3 million square kilometers. It is 1.5 times the size of the Mediterranean Sea. However, there are many countries around this sea. Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Philippines and China. It is an area where exclusive economic zones are intricately intertwined, and China’s territorial claims are unique. They claim territorial waters that look like a cow’s tongue, known as the nine-dash line. It claims that more than 80% of the South China Sea is Chinese territorial waters.
Jay Tariella | Philippine Coast Guard Spokesman
Look at the nine-dash line in China. It invades almost every exclusive economic zone in the West Philippine Sea.
However, if you look at this nine-line line, it is 1800 km away from Hainan Island in southern China. China claims this sea as its territorial sea.
Jaehyun Lee │ Senior Research Fellow, Asan Institute for Policy Studies
I am making my request based on a map examined by the Kuomintang government. Not many countries recognize China’s nine-dash line. Of course, the United States and Southeast Asian countries protest against it.
How can anyone make such an absurd claim? It is possible because of the artificial island I mentioned earlier. They built 20 artificial islands in the Paracel Islands and 7 in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea to become military bases. China claims sovereignty over most of the South China Sea based on these artificial islands.
This kind of attempt by China has been going on for a long time. It started when China started to show its strength externally. Since the 1970s, China has been steadily increasing the number of artificial islands in the South China Sea.
Jay Tariella | Philippine Coast Guard Spokesman
This is the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines, and we have sovereignty over it. We have the right to explore and exploit to find crude oil.
There is no legal basis for this Chinese claim. In 2016, the Permanent Court of International Arbitration ruled that there is no legal basis for China to expand its territorial waters simply by building artificial islands like this. But China’s response was simple. They simply ignored the court ruling.
Jaehyun Lee │ Senior Research Fellow, Asan Institute for Policy Studies
Even if artificial structures are created through reclamation, they are not recognized under international law. Nevertheless, China continues to expand this, and later, if there is a situation where China can distort it, it may be based on this to declare a territorial sea or an economic zone there.
If the ancient Chinese Qin Dynasty built the Great Wall, modern China built the Sand Wall in the South China Sea. It can be expressed like this. In the past, it was used to build the Great Wall and prevent barbarians from the periphery from approaching, but they built artificial islands called sand walls in the South China Sea to block access from neighboring countries at all. And you can also secure control of this sea.
Jay Tariella | Philippine Coast Guard Spokesman
If we accept that the nine-dash line claimed by China is legal and valid, it will affect all ASEAN countries including Korea, Japan, the Philippines, and Taiwan.
Why can’t China and the US give up on the South China Sea?
The South China Sea is an area that China cannot give up. If you look at the way China can expand by sea, if it comes to Korea, the way to Korea and Japan is immediately blocked. And even if you try to go to the middle, Taiwan blocks the way.
(The rest of the story is in soup)
Reporter Kim Soo-hyung sean@sbs.co.kr
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