Knowledge Nugget | South China Sea back in spotlight: What’s happening and why it matters

Key Takeaways:

1. The measures are a key step in safeguarding the diversity, stability and sustainability of the Huangyan Dao natural ecosystem, an official announcement said. 

2. Under the rules, a routine patrol system will be established to promptly investigate and handle violations in accordance with the law.

3. Violators will be held accountable under relevant laws and regulations, the state-run Xinhua news agency quoted the rules jointly issued by the Ministry of Natural Resources, the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, the China Coast Guard, and the Hainan provincial government.

4. Without prior approval, any activities such as fishing, mining, and the extraction of corals, coral reefs, or giant clams that damage rare marine species and the natural ecosystem are prohibited, it said.

5. No individual or organization may enter the reserve, except as otherwise provided by laws and regulations or for activities organized for conservation and management purposes, it said.

What is the South China Sea?

1. The South China Sea is situated just south of the Chinese mainland and is bordered by the countries of Brunei, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam. The countries have bickered over territorial control in the sea for centuries, but in recent years tensions have soared to new heights.

2. The South China Sea is one of the most strategically critical maritime areas and China eyes its control to assert more power over the region. In 1947, the country, under the rule of the nationalist Kuomintang party, issued a map with the so-called “nine-dash line”.

3. The nine-dash line essentially encircles Beijing’s claimed waters and islands of the South China Sea — as much as 90% of the sea has been claimed by China. The line continued to appear in the official maps even after the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) came to power.

4. In the past few years, the country has also tried to stop other nations from conducting any military or economic operation without its consent, saying the sea falls under its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

5. China’s sweeping claims, however, have been widely contested by other countries. In response, China has physically increased the size of islands or created new islands altogether in the sea, according to the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR).

What is the ‘nine-dash line’?

1. The nine-dash line demarcates China’s territorial claims in the sea on Chinese maps. It was initially the “eleven-dash line” but in 1953, the Chinese Communist Party-led government removed “the portion encompassing the Gulf of Tonkin, simplifying the border to nine dashes,” CFR said.

Map of the South China Sea, with “nine-dash line” highlighted in green. (Source: Wikimedia Commons/US Central Intelligence Agency)

2. The line runs as far as 2,000 km from the Chinese mainland to within a few hundred kilometres of the Philippines, Malaysia and Vietnam. China’s claim on the waters and islands within the boundary is based on its “historical maritime rights”. However, the country has never clearly stated the line coordinates and the line runs many miles beyond what is allowed under the United Nations treaty on maritime territorial issues, which China has signed.

What’s the importance of the South China Sea?

1. The significance of the South China Sea as far as international trade is concerned is an established fact. It is a major shipping route that connects the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. According to statistics, around 22 per cent of the total global trade and around 60 per cent of global maritime trade pass through the South China Sea.

2. The South China Sea is also known for fishing and related activities. The presence of oil and natural gas on the sea bed also makes it economically and strategically very important.

3. There are 11 billion barrels of oil and 190 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in deposits under the South China Sea, according to the estimates of the United States Energy Information Agency.

4. The sea is home to rich fishing grounds — a major source of income for millions of people across the region. The BBC reported that more than half of the world’s fishing vessels operate in this area.

What are the disputed islands in the South China Sea?

1. The aggressive behaviour of China in advancing its claims over the South China Sea has created territorial disputes. Multiple countries have claimed waters in the South China Sea, including Brunei, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and China.

2. Scarborough Shoal, also known as Huangyan Island, is a rock in the South China Sea, approximately 120 nautical miles west of the Philippine island of Luzon. China and Philippines have been embroiled in a tussle over the shoal’s territorial claim since 2012.

— While it comes under the Philippines’ EEZ, Beijing claims that the records show “China’s sailors discovered Huangyan Island 2,000 years ago and cite extensive records of visits, mapping expeditions and habitation of the shoal from the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD) right through to the modern period,” a report published by The Indian Express noted.

Bilateral maritime cooperative activity India and the Philippines conducted the two-day “bilateral maritime cooperative activity” in August last year in waters close to the Scarborough Shoal. Defence cooperation is one of the strong pillars of bilateral relations and a promising area for future collaboration between India and the Philippines. Notably, India delivered the first batch of BrahMos missile system to the Philippines on April 19, 2024, making it the first foreign nation to acquire the missile weapon system.

— In 2016, after the Philippines took China to an international tribunal pertaining to the dispute over the Scarborough Shoal, the tribunal in its ruling largely rejected the nine-dash line and said, “China had broken international law by endangering Philippine ships and damaging the marine environment,” The New York Times reported.

— Although the tribunal’s judgement was binding, there was no enforcement mechanism. China boycotted the proceedings, claiming the tribunal had no jurisdiction and that it would ignore any decision.

3. There has been an ongoing territorial dispute between China, Taiwan, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Malaysia concerning the ownership of the Spratly Islands archipelago and nearby geographical features like corals reefs, cays etc.

— Since 1968, these nations have engaged in varying kinds of military occupation of the islands and the surrounding waters, with the exception of Brunei, that has contained its objections to the use of its maritime waters for commercial fishing.

— Although the Spratly Islands are largely uninhabited, there is a possibility that they may have large reserves of untapped natural resources.

3. The Paracel Islands dispute is slightly more complex. This archipelago is a collection of 130 islands and coral reefs and is located in the South China Sea, almost equidistant from China and Vietnam.

— Beijing says that references to the Paracel Islands as a part of China sovereign territory can be found in 14th century writings from the Song Dynasty. Vietnam on the other hand, says that historical texts from at least the 15th century show that the islands were a part of its territory.

— In January 1974, China and Vietnam fought over their territorial disputes after which China took over control of the islands. In retaliation, in 1982, Vietnam said it had extended its administrative powers over these islands. In 1999, Taiwan jumped into the fray laying its claim over the entire archipelago.

— Since 2012, China, Taiwan and Vietnam have attempted to reinforce their claims on the territory by engaging in construction of government administrative buildings, tourism, land reclamation initiatives and by establishing and expanding military presence on the archipelago.

BEYOND THE NUGGET: SAGAR and MAHASAGAR doctrines

1. SAGAR: The ‘Security and Growth for All in the Region’ (SAGAR) concept was first articulated by the Prime Minister of India in Mauritius in 2015. Under this concept, India envisages a free, open, inclusive, peaceful, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region, one which is built on a rules-based international order, sustainable and transparent infrastructure investment, freedom of navigation and overflight, unimpeded lawful commerce, mutual respect for sovereignty, peaceful resolution of disputes, as well as equality of all nations.

2. MAHASAGAR: This year, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Mauritius, he announced the upgradation of the comprehensive strategic partnership and enhanced SAGAR to MAHASAGAR, i.e., Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions.

3. The doctrine of MAHASAGAR builds on SAGAR and indicates a broadened scope of India’s maritime engagement. This perceptibly includes not only the immediate neighbourhood but also extends to the broader Indo-Pacific space and connects with India’s strategic collaboration with QUAD members—the United States, Japan, and Australia.

Post Read Question

Which of the following countries is not included in territorial disputes in the South China Sea?

(a) Brunei

(b) Vietnam

(c) Philippines

(d) Thailand

Answer key

(d)

(Sources: China-Philippines tussle: Everything you need to know about the South China Sea dispute, Significance of India’s ‘Act East’ policy amid disputes around the South China Sea)

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