The South China Sea Arbitration case decided on July 12, 2016 was an arbitration case brought against China for its effective control . The row affected Vietnams stock markets, which plunged after the incident. But the South China Sea has been dangerously overfished. But skeptics worry that China is laying a debt trap for borrowing governments. The sea is also a shipping route and has major fishing grounds. Philippine exports of fisheries products to China and the Hong Kong SAR have grown rapidly over the past five years, from $49 million in 2009 to almost $129 million in 2013 - an average annual . document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); The South China Sea has long been considered a flashpoint for regional tensions in East and Southeast Asia. "Any [People's Republic of China] action to harass other states' fishing or hydrocarbon development in these waters - or to carry out such activities unilaterally - is unlawful," he said. This broad trough is about 130 feet (40 metres) deep at its periphery and up to 330 feet (100 metres) in its central part. And the South China Sea has become the hub of that. The body of water is bounded by the east coast of the Malay Peninsula and the southern part of the Gulf of Thailand. As defined by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry, rare earth metals are a set of seventeen chemical elements in the periodic table, specifically the fifteen lanthanides plus scandium and yttrium. With China's expansion and militarization of its holdings in the disputed Spratly Islands from late 2013, tensions have escalated rapidly. Obviously that body of water and its land features are not coterminous with Southeast Asia, nor with East . -8248-1881-4. All the countries bordering directly on this sea - China, Vietnam, Taiwan, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Brunei - have claimed some or all of the tiny, but strategically located, Spratly Islets and some or all of the maritime space and its resources. Renewing America, Backgrounder Annual Lecture on China: Frayed RelationsThe United States and China, Virtual Event 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. David Rosenbergs article [PDF] for the Harvard Asia Quarterly delves into what's at risk in the South China Sea, including the region's resources profiles, shipping lanes and fisheries. Though the availability of REMs in the South China Sea is still being determined, large deposits have recently been found just off Japans east coast, and China has previously used its virtual monopoly on the minerals to punish Japan in the Senkaku/Diaoyu island conflict. Many fishermen are forced to resort to more efficient and aggressive techniques . The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Academic and Higher Education Webinars, C.V. Starr & Co. Exploitation of oil and gas reserves in the South China Sea has been considerably held back as a result of these arguments, as investors are deterred by the threat and consequences of international clashes. The South China Sea is the largest marginal sea of the western Pacific. February 22, 2023, Article China's . He said the US, which has previously said it does not take sides in territorial disputes, rejected Beijing's claims to waters off Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia. However, the United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) states that constructed islands do not have the same rights as natural islands, and thus China has no claim on the surrounding waters. China was the first country to discover, name, explore and exploit the resources of the South China Sea Islands and the first to continuously exercise sovereign powers over them," the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote in December 2014. Last week, China and the US held naval exercises in the area at the same time - a rare phenomenon indicating rising tensions. It is unclear what new actions, if any, the US might take to back up its stance. In December 2012, Chinas National Energy Administration named the disputed waters as the main offshore site for natural gas production, and a major Chinese energy company has already begun drilling in deep water off the southern coast. NOTE: Some content may not be available in all languages. This chapter explores the very latest developments in the South China Sea maritime dispute. In a statement posted on Twitter, the Chinese embassy in Washington DC said the US state department "deliberately distorts the facts and international law including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea". Disputes have hindered the local offshore oil industry and deterred investors, and are now set to increase diplomatic tensions between China and the US. Vietnam sent its navy to stop the exploration and proceeded to dispatch an oil rig there, which China subsequently prevented. Washington has recently criticised Beijing on issues ranging from its handling of the coronavirus pandemic, to human rights violations against Muslim minorities in Xinjiang and how it has dealt with pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong. The United States supports the Philippines in calling on the PRC to end its provocative actions and to respect international law in the South China Sea. On December 5, a Chinese warship nearly collided with the USS Cowpens, a guided-missile cruiser operating lawfully in the South China Sea (SCS). A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. November 4, 2022 Annual rainfall varies from about 80 inches (2,000 mm) to more than 120 inches (3,000 mm) around the southern basin. South China Sea is full of natural resources like Gas, Oil, Coral Lime, high Silicate, Sand, quality Gem, natural pearls, fish, birds and sea slugs. The disputes arent limited to land, however; each country has an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), prescribed by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), over which it has special rights to marine resources and energy exploration and production. CNOOC has the most experience with offshore oil production and has invested the most into the sea. The South China Sea is rich in marine life. the Chinese embassy in Washington DC said the US state department "deliberately distorts the facts and international law including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea". Claim lines depicted are continental shelf claims based on a claimants international agreements, domestic legislation, and public submission of claims, as well as the nine-dash line of the Peoples Republic of China. China's pursuit of offshore resources in parts of the South China Sea is "completely unlawful", US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said. The sea is heavily fished, however, and is the main source of animal protein for the densely populated Southeast Asian area. July 13, 2020. February 2, 2023. Experts argue that the mutual benefits [PDF] from regional economic integration provide an extremely compelling incentive for cooperation on resources, conservation, and security movements, according to a Harvard Quarterly paper. The South China Sea's Environmental Crisis. The South China Sea comprises a stretch of roughly 1.4 million square miles in the Pacific Ocean that encompasses an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan, spanning west of the Philippines, north of Indonesia, and east of Vietnam. An official website of the United States government. This was despite protests . The worst but least likely scenario is war. ", Industrial solutions for power generation, Missing in action: the new issue of Offshore Technology Focus is out now, One year on: How the Russian war has affected its exports, Polypropylene and polyethylene to lead global petrochemicals project starts by 2027, China Gas signs two LNG deals with Venture Global, CapeOmega and Neptune partner for cross-border carbon shipping and storage, Enis annual profits surge to 13.3bn due to higher energy prices, Equinors annual operating profit surges to nearly $75bn, TotalEnergies annual profit doubles to $36.2bn, A tale of two COPs: Connecting climate and biodiversity, Floating wind: Time to turn expertise into action in deeper waters. Analysts declared South China Sea is the hub of the resources (Fabinyi, 2015). It has an emerging renewable energy market as few fossil fuel resources are available, but backup resources of natural gas could also be of economic interest. The Tribunal rejects Chinas maritime claims that go beyond the entitlements set out in the Law of the Sea Convention. South China Sea - An Overview. The South China Sea is a strategic marine area in terms of natural resource potential and international trade routes. An online resource for students, scholars and policy-makers interested in South China Sea regional development, environment, and security issues. China has, so far, undertaken the militarization of the 1.35 million square miles of South China Sea in two phases. However, Yann-Huei says China is unlikely to instigate an interruption in traffic because its business, exploration, and importation rely entirely on freedom of navigation as well. . Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam contest China's claim to almost all of the South China Sea. Jul 11, 2019. The need for resources, especially hydrocarbons and fisheries, also has intensified economic competition in the region, particularly given the rapid coastal urbanization of China. Advertisement. But why now? Regional fisheries in the South China Sea are estimated to generate $100 billion annually, supporting the livelihoods of around 3.7 million people, which the report says will be at risk. International tribunals, like the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, are available, but nations use it selectively in light of the potential domestic political ramifications of appearing conciliatory. Weekly. Corrections? February 1, 2023 Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. with Ivan Kanapathy, Bonny Lin and Stephen S. Roach, In June 2011, Vietnam accused a Chinese fishing boat of, from an oil exploration vessel inside its EEZ. The major rivers draining into the South China Sea are the tributaries of the Pearl (Zhu) River Delta south of Guangzhou (Canton), China, including the Xi River; the Red River at Haiphong, Viet. China has previously accused the US Navy of provocation and interference in regional matters. Their militaries are engaging in nearly continuous and . We share the Philippines' concerns regarding the PRC's provocative actions interfering with Philippine sovereign rights within the Philippine exclusive economic zone near . Unlike the United States and EU, which are engaged in other regions of the world, the Southeast Asian countries are compelled to spend more protecting their most immediate interests. CFRs Joshua Kurlantzick said in August 2012 that while ASEAN was an appropriate venue to mediate this dispute, the organization still has not yet found its footing in transitioning to a more forceful, integrated organization that can provide leadership. In a November 2012 IIGG working paper, Kurlantzick looked at how ASEAN could strengthen its role in the region to meet challenges such as the South China Sea. July 04, 2021. Credit: Official U.S. Navy page. In these seemingly insignificant island chains and reefs, there are growing risks of military conflict between the world's two most powerful countries. In response, China's Foreign Ministry called the US's plans 'provocative' behaviour and stated that it would "never allow any country to violate" its terrestrial waters or airspace. As early as the 1970s, countries began to claim islands and various zones in the South China Sea, such as the Spratly Islands, which possess rich natural resources and fishing areas. You are also agreeing to our. Theres nothing like NATO in Asia, and thats whats worrisome, Rosenberg says. From strategic competition with China, to military recruiting and readiness, there are many benefits to adopting strong clean car standards. The Luzon Strait, the main deep channel connecting the South China Sea with the Pacific Ocean, lies between Taiwan and the Philippines and has a depth of about 8,500 feet (2,600 metres). Due to China's expansion of power in the South China Sea, relations with neighboring countries in the South China Sea have become increasingly tense; Philippine officials recently revealed that the US military may return to Subic Bay. Member, Commission for Developing Countries, International Association for the Physical Sciences of the Ocean. The South China Sea is home to two sets of disputes. 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Territorial disputes, historical animosities, powerful militaries, and nuclear weapons make for high-stakes geopolitics in the region. What's behind the South China Sea dispute? July 12, 2021, 3:08 AM PDT. A 2012 Johns Hopkins paper notes that Southeast Asia has transformed in the last two decades to an area where Chinese power and strategic ambition confront an established U.S. military presence, and where a Chinese perception of the status of the South China Sea is fundamentally at odds with a long-settled consensus among major maritime states. The involvement of the navy made political compromise more difficult, says the ICG. As with oil, estimates of the regions natural gas resources vary widely. In a statement on Monday, Mr Pompeo denounced China's claims on the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, saying Beijing had "no legal grounds to unilaterally impose its will on the region". The South China Sea is poorly understood in terms of its marine biota, ecology and the human impacts upon it. Surrounding countries however have emerging energy markets, which could derive greater benefit from exploiting the Spratlys for oil and gas. In his book The South China Sea & the Struggle for the Future of Asia he wrote about a group of expert geological and geophysical consultants who convene at the Penny Black pub on the Singapore waterfront; a watering hole for everyone who has ever tried to find hydrocarbons in the South China Sea. Below is an energy profile for each resource located in the South China Sea. by James McBride, Noah Berman and Andrew Chatzky The Indo-West Pacific biogeographic province, at the centre of which the South China Sea lies, is probably the world's most diverse shallow-water marine area. International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry, have recently been found just off Japans east coast, China has previously used its virtual monopoly on the minerals to punish Japan, the South China Sea holds one third of the entire worlds marine biodiversity. People depend upon the natural resources of South China Sea nations, and scientists should work together to understand how overfishing, coral reef destruction and . Parts of the Spratly Islands, a collection of reefs, rocks and other features, are claimed by China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Indonesia and Japan, but there are disputes about who owns what. These developments assume that there are reserves available. One is over sovereignty. In a radio communication, the pilots were warned to leave the area "immediately" in order to "avoid any misunderstanding". It is also studded with numerous islets, atolls and reefs many of which are just awash at low tide. Its not the Cold War by any means, but theyre still not very open with each other about military modernization.. The South China Sea is an area that has abundant natural resources, especially energy resources. February 23, 2023, By entering your email and clicking subscribe, you're agreeing to receive announcements from CFR about our products and services, as well as invitations to CFR events. We are making clear: Beijing's claims to offshore resources across most of the South China Sea are completely unlawful, as is its campaign of bullying to control them. As much as 50 percent of global oil tanker shipments pass through the South China Sea, which sees three times more tanker traffic than the Suez Canal and more than five times that of the Panama Canal, making the waters one of the worlds busiest international sea lanes. The fish resources of the South China Sea are a global common. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. ASEANs six-point statement in July made no reference to specific incidents, and only outlined an agreement to draft and implement a regional code of conduct, respect international law, and exercise self-restraint. by Noah Berman, Lindsay Maizland and Andrew Chatzky According to studies made by the Filipino Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the South China Sea holds one third of the entire worlds marine biodiversity and provides about ten percent of the worlds catch. The line, which is contested by the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Vietnam, encompasses virtually the entire South China Sea region and caused immediate controversy when China submitted a map to the UN in 2009 that included the demarcation. Hostilities resurfaced in May 2014, when Chinese vessels fired water cannons at a Vietnamese flotilla that allegedly approached a large Chinese drilling rig near the Paracel Islands. The South China Sea disputes continue to confuse and confound policymakers. While a range of academics, policy-experts, NGOs, and government agencies from around the world have offered an enormous amount of commentary on this issue, most have focused on the territorial and political disputes in the region without fully discussing what the conflict truly centers on: a concentration of energy resources. Updates? While Vietnam is in the early stages of developing its energy trading market, the country could stand to gain a lot from claiming more reserves from the South China Sea than it currently has access to. China consumes about three billion barrels of oil and about five trillion cubic feet of natural gas each year, and only a fraction of any of these resources lies in disputed territory in the South China Sea. Read about our approach to external linking. 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