Firstly, the South China Sea is a prominent shipping passage with $5.3 trillion worth of . The conflict and tension over competing sovereignty claims in the South China Sea has grown considerably in the past 5-10 years. The area is globally important for a few reasons. Washingtons relationship with Hanoi will make that more palatable. India and Vietnam, while acknowledging the strategic importance of the SCS and their volatile position when it comes to China's rising power, are edging closer toward each other. China has tried to effectively annex the whole South China Sea region as its territorial waters, according to Malcolm Davis, a senior analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI). U.S. allies and partners in the region are drawing lessons from Chinese coercive behavior and the limited U.S. response to it, and some are beginning to doubt U.S. resolve and adjust their foreign policies in response. the South China Sea in all scenarios short of war with the United States." Chinese control of the SCS-and, more generally, Chinese domination of China's near-seas region, meaning the SCS, the East China Sea (ECS), and the Yellow Sea-could substantially aect U.S. strategic, political, and economic interests in the Indo-Pacic region and . The South China Sea is one of the most important trade pathways in the world. In April, Australian Defence Force personnel joined the U.S.-Philippines Balikatan maneuvers, which included an amphibious landing exercise. The South China Sea contains some of the world's most important shipping lanes. South China Sea or even some part of its strategically significant zones will provide the sovereign nation state significant seat in global trade agreements. It is a rich source of hydrocarbons and natural resources. South China Sea Dispute - History, Causes & Consequences for UPSC The United States should continue to prioritize military presence in the Asia-Pacific at the same time as it invests in key capabilities, such as long-range precision strike, undersea warfare, cyber/space systems, and other capabilities that will preserve the U.S. ability to deter Chinese aggression. Sun Tzu Explains China's Shaping Operations in the South China Sea. The United States emerged from World War II as a resident great power in East Asia. Since 2009, China has growingly asserted its influence over the SCS by enforcing an annual fishing ban, conducting regular maritime patrols, undertaking scientific surveys and conducting military exercises in the disputed islands and waters. The islands are important, however, for strategic and political reasons. Cobra Gold, hosted by Thailand and led by the United States, is the largest annual multilateral military exercise in Asia. Seventh Fleet patrolled the regions seaways, including the South China Sea, unchallenged including agreed access to ports throughout much of the region. The Strategic Importance of the South China Sea - academia.edu As building of military facilities continued in 2015, the US explicitly announced its opposition to these constructions and tasked surveillance assets to conduct over flights in the SCS and significantly raised tensions. 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. Ownership claims to them are used to bolster claims to the surrounding sea and its resources. The area marked with a blue line is based on the UNCLOS 200 nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) relating to each countrys claims and the islands marked in green are the ones over which sovereignty is disputed. To understand the statement we have to have a particular knowledge over the issue and have to look over the geopolitical and strategic importance of South China Sea. Close allies such as Australia and Japan have a great deal to offer in terms of capability and capacity, and should be encouraged to do more. Without the southern American presence, Chinese forces could more easily divide American forces east and west in the event of a crisis, more easily defend territorial claims or intimidate Malaysia and Indonesia, and more easily threaten maritime and air traffic crisscrossing the South China Sea. China's Claims to the South China Sea Are Unlawful. Now What? The Chinese recently built an island in the South China Sea, apparently as a potential airbase. India has likewise pursued deeper defense ties with Vietnam, and Indian warships just made port calls at Cam Ranh Bay and Subic Bay while en route to trilateral naval exercises with the United States and Japan in the Western Pacific. The increasing activity of Beijing in the South China Sea, Consequences of US-China rivalry in Indo-Pacific and beyond, Balancing the giants: Australia between China and US. A critical and early Chinese test of U.S. resolve is likely to come in the South China Sea, where Washington has struggled to respond effectively to assertive Chinese behavior. STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE OF SOUTH CHINA SEA - academia.edu The outcome of that contest will profoundly influence, if not shape, the 21st century world. The message will be clear; the era of American international leadership and predominance is over and a new preeminent power has taken its place. China and the South China Sea | Wilson Center Many of these countries suffer from corruption and lack for effective rule of law. In my mind, this leads to 3 key questions to base any form of analysis from: 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. Report Chinese missiles on the mainland already hold all U.S. Asian bases at risk. With the National League for Democracy now in power in Naypyidaw, China cannot rely on Burma as an automatic ally. Accordingly, Malaysia's note verbale serves as the strongest stance of Malaysia on the SCS in recent times and aligns itself with the top priority of its DWP. China, however, must now balance its continental concerns, which remain complex, against its new dependence on the maritime domain. Cooperation on areas of shared interest is important not only to the United States, but also to China. The strategic signal of an Indian presence in the South China Sea 2009 China issues two diplomatic notes that appear to claim a majority of the South China Sea. It is the geostrategic importance that is usually the main reason for the parties to strengthen their claim over the Spratlys and the Paracels. In short, adopting a more robust deterrence approach need not prevent cooperation that is in the interests of both countries. China sought access to natural resources, to political influence and to a strategic maritime position in the Bay of Bengal. South China Sea, Dispute, Map, Countries, Strategic Importance We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. These islands are large enough for military runways and well as SAM installations. Vietnam already flies modern Russian fighter jets and is expecting delivery this year of its sixth and final Kilo-class submarinesubmarines so quiet that the U.S. Navy refers to them as black holes. If the Chinese Navy wants to have its way in the South China Sea, it will have to dedicate resources to tracking those subs, a task with which the PLAN has limited experience. Geostrategic importance of Bangladesh for the USA | South Asia Journal The United States needs to consider a wider variety of non-military responses to Chinas efforts to control the South China Sea, and more effectively build a local coalition to support these responses. The importance of the South China Sea | ShareAmerica Importance of the South China Sea for the US and China and their Inconsistent messaging and policiesincluding on freedom of navigation and routine presence operationshave also led to confusion in the region. This article aims to highlight security dynamics of the US-China competition in the Indo-Pacific associated with the Malacca Strait and the South China Sea through the prism of Balance of Threat Th. The United States has been largely successful at preserving its own freedom of action and deterring outright Chinese aggression in the South China Sea through routine presence operations. As a result of this shift, China now seeks to control sea lines of communication, ensure national prosperity and continue economic growth and national greatness; the South China Sea plays a massive part in this. "American aircraft, this is the PLA air force. Importantly, American access to four airbases (with potentially more to be made available at a later date)especially those on Luzon and Palawanwill make U.S. air power resident in Southeast Asia. How Much Oil and Gas Is Contained in the South China Sea? This button displays the currently selected search type. economic importance associated with the ocean is tremendous and manifold. in the northeast, the South China Sea is one of the most important trade routes in the world. The U.S. In 1989 troops from the Peoples Liberation Army entered Tiananmen Square and terminated the student-led democracy demonstrations and hundreds died. China's actions in the SCSincluding extensive . 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. India is training crews for Vietnams new Kilo-class submarines and will sell Vietnam BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles. As the pivot of global economy continues to move east it is highly likely that 21st century geopolitics will continue to revolve around Asia and the SCS. With a maturing coast guard, navy and air force, Vietnam will become an increasingly prickly foe. The strategically important South China Sea is an increasingly prominent stage for the spiraling tensions . '3 reasons' China tries to control South China Sea - Anadolu Ajans China, for example, has asserted a maritime claim to a large majority of the South China Sea that is not consistent with international law. U.S. goals to uphold regional alliances and partnerships, defend international rules and norms, and maintain a productive relationship with China remain valid. South China Sea has geo-strategic, geo-politic and geo-economic importance due to half of the world trade passage and presence of precious resources of oil and gas. From a strategic perspective, the geographical significance of the SCS is that whoever has dominance over it, dominates the future of East Asia. Strategic. Russia-Ukraine War Compels Japan to Reassess China Challenge, Shift Journals and books. Select Accept to consent or Reject to decline non-essential cookies for this use. The new administration should issue clear and consistent strategic messages, since inconsistent articulation of the objectives of the rebalance strategy has caused confusion in China and amongst U.S. allies and partners. MANILA - Major powers are wading deeper into the South China Sea in a series of moves that promise to rile China while answering US calls for like-minded nations to counter jointly Beijing's rising assertiveness in the crucial and contested maritime area. All Rights Reserved. 5 min. Yet, it was and is all of that. We will defend freedom of the seas and skies.. All these aspects highlight the strategic indispensability of the South China Sea for global trade routes. 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. The Obama administrations decision to lift the decades-old arms embargo on Vietnam is instrumental here. And thus a new strategic map of Asia begins to emerge. Guidelines for a South China Sea Strategy. The two major power of the world i.e. While consistency in U.S. messaging and policy execution is important, it should be balanced by carefully calculated unpredictability in operations and tactics to prevent Beijing from becoming overly confident in its ability to anticipate U.S. reactions. The lifting of the arms embargo also opens the door to other forms of U.S.-Vietnam security cooperation. It is unlikely that any states in the region possess the wealth and power to oppose this, although there is always a realistic possibility that they may receive backing from the USA if it is in their interests. The purpose of this thesis is to examine the South China Sea dispute and to analyze why the dispute has yet to escalate, as well as the strategic importance of the South China Sea dispute to international trade. 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. The most important and least tangible stake in the South China Sea concerns the preservation (or not) of a regional rules-based order supported by U.S. power. What is the Strategic Importance of the South China Sea? The geopolitical message was unmistakable: Western expectations that China was transitioning toward political democracy were entirely illusory. Center for Strategic and International Studies Allied efforts to support U.S. force posture in the region will remain vital, but the United States should also expect allies to make greater contributions in responding to Chinese coercion. (PDF) Strategic Importance of Gwadar Port - ResearchGate 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 . through South China Sea Port is 1400 kms long. Countries across the region prioritized economic growth and modernization. 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 Should they be neutral, China may lord over the southern reaches of the South China Sea from military bases on its newly created and expanded islands in the Spratlys. f) . 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 . A South China Sea Strategy By Dan Blumenthal, Michael Auslin, and Michael Mazza I. Beware China: America Fights Back In recent years, China's inventive engineering feats have allowed it to. 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. Coral reefs, which are vital to marine habitats, have been declining by 16 percent per decade, according to a report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Hanoi and Canberra have launched a number of security dialogues and are expanding personnel exchanges, ship visits and officer training. South China Sea: Why is it strategically important? - Clear IAS The United States can do more to leverage its alliances in Asia to raise the costs of Chinese efforts to undermine the regional order. Instead, perceptions of weakness may encourage leaders in Beijing to embrace more assertive behavior. Aung San Suu Kyi has no interest in antagonizing Chinawhich shares a border with Burma and is a major source of foreign investmentbut nor can she afford to alienate the United States or India. In the past two weeks, Filipino . The United States can stand firm on its principles and deter China from undermining the regional order while maintaining a productive relationship. Whomever is elected to be the next American president, that person would be wise to have in place a Plan B should the TPP fail to pass the Senate this year (such a Plan B is admittedly unlikely, given that both major candidates would bear responsibility for its failure in the first place). . Despite all that, Beijing now faces a competition with Washington (and Delhi and Tokyo) for influence in Naypyidaw. In 1974, Chinese gunboats attacked and defeated a small South Vietnamese military outpost in the Paracels an archipelago of reefs, atolls, and islets in the South China Sea. From busiest . South China Sea has strategic significance for world: US, Vietnam But the South China Sea has been dangerously overfished. Conservation values protection of marine habitat against wanton, unnecessary despoliation are also essential. Such pressure should focus on concrete, near-term objectives, such as putting a stop to reeducation of regime critics. The South China Sea: What's Really at Issue Strategic Culture Utapao has been suggested as a permanent Southeast Asian Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) hub. Generally, oil and minerals move north, and food and manufactured goods move south. In such a complex environment, it is important to have well-established, recognizable rules of international law. The United States, moreover, should work with its other Pacific alliesAustralia, South Korea and especially Japanto consider ways that they can lead efforts to expand infrastructure investment in Southeast Asia, perhaps by reforming and enlarging the Asian Development Bank or by launching a joint infrastructure investment fund. This concept of regional order links tightly to a broader set of interests, values, and institutions embodied in the post-World War II international system a system that reflects U.S. values, U.S. leadership and is consonant with U.S. interests. multifaceted fiscal and strategic benefits, acting as a magnet for the regional as well as . From the report. What evidence is there of increased projection of Maritime Power? It is growing more difficult to discuss Southeast Asia without discussing Japan, India and Australia, whose ties to the region and to each other are maturing and whose militarieswhether represented by personnel, aircraft, or warshipsare increasingly present in the region. American littoral combat ships are rotating through Singapore, at the South China Seas western extremis, and the city-state has also quietly built the only Asian port outside of Yokohama at which an American aircraft carrier can dock. Unfortunately, some countries fail to comply with the existing international law. 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. She also observed that the sea-lanes through the South China Sea constituted a global commons not subject to sovereign claims by any nation. South China Sea and possible options. April 26, 2016 There is widespread interest in the rising tensions over the waters east of China. The South China Sea (SCS) has great strategic and economic significance in the contemporary international politico-security environment. 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. 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. The Art of War helps expose the motivation behind past, current, and future Chinese actions. Islands in the South China Sea The islands of the South China Sea can be grouped into two island chains. Second, the United States should feel comfortable adopting a patient approach in pushing a return to full democracy in Thailand. Chinese fighter jet flies within 500 feet of U.S. patrol over South US and China is engaging in this sea to control all significance. That claim remained shrouded in a calculated fog of ambiguity until 2010 when Secretary of State Clinton addressed the status of the South China Sea and its sea-lanes at a meeting of the ASEAN Regional Forum in Hanoi. These straws-in-the-wind gained strategic context because the PRC had long published official maps showing a boundary encompassing almost the entire South China Sea the nine-dash line.. In addition, tensions have been raised with the Philippines after assertive Chinese naval patrols which they described as aggressive action. 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. U.S. responses to Chinas South China Sea activities have been insufficient to alter Chinas behavior and have fed the narrative that China is pushing the United States out of the region. Final Thoughts & Looking Towards the Future. China's strategic perspective on the South China Sea Current developments in the South China Sea must be understood against the backdrop of recent history. 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? The South China Sea is one such essential waterway, made more important by the value of the sea's fisheries and subsea resources such as natural gas. If China succeeds, in displacing U.S. power in the Western Pacific and Chinese territorial expansion into the South China Sea becomes permanent and codified, global geopolitics will have entered a new and very different era. More importantly, it also covers the most crucial energy routes for East Asian countries to transport oil and natural gas from the Persian Gulf. The region also is the subject of more than a dozen overlapping and interconnected disputes over who is in charge of the various islands, rocks, shoals and reefs scattered throughout the South China Sea waters. The South China Sea in Strategic Terms | Wilson Center Besides, more than half of the world's fishing vessels pass through the SCS. 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. Learn more in our Cookie Policy. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Figure 4 shows the overlapping sovereignty claims in the SCS, with Chinas claims according to the 9 dash line doctrine in red. The same cannot be said for China and a maritime Southeast Asia that aligns with the United States. 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China is working hard to bring under its control the water, islands, rocks and reefs that sit within its imaginary nine-dash line. China's Art of Strategic Incrementalism in the South China Sea The neighboring South East Asian countries of the highly volatile and busiest waterways of the South China Sea (SCS) have overlapping claims of sovereignty. China has steadily built capabilities and infrastructure, most notably military facilities on artificial islands, that enable greater control of the South China Sea. China remains uncompromising on sovereignty, has increased its capability to enforce its de facto control in disputed areas, and has sought to advance its claims while staying below the threshold for direct military conflict with the United States.