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It remains entirely plausible that any Chinese strategy could have a long term goal of possessing the power to deny US or western warships access to the SCS, with China largely laying claim to most of the area as it's own waters. PDF The Strategic Importance of South China Sea - World Geostrategic Insights But in order to achieve renewed stability in the regionto ensure that Southeast Asians are not susceptible to non-military Chinese coercionthe United States must strive to become more than just the security partner of choice. 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 reaction of the Chinese Foreign Minister was incendiary and revealing. 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. Hanoi will move cautiously and such access may be limited to the purposes of logistical support for the time being. 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). '3 reasons' China tries to control South China Sea - Anadolu Ajans access to Thailands military facilities, particularly the strategically located and well-equipped Utapao airbase, is considered invaluable. Anil Trigunayat, 5th Generation Warfare: A Real Global Warming (Alarming) and its Implications for Pakistan, The Geopolitics of Indo-Pacific: the Rise of India and the Possible Challenges for Pakistan, 75 Years of Pakistan's Independence: Audit of Achievements and Failures, Bacterial Attack on Azerbaijani Oil a fictitious scenario, Pakistan, from the Shackles of Oligarchy to the Emergence of Democracy, Impact of Climate Change on Flood-Stricken People in Balochistan, Dimensions of Religion: Use, Misuse and Beyond, Breaking Free from Fossil Fuels: Why Nuclear Energy is Significant for Pakistan, Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education and Scientific Research: an interview with Fatima Roumate, Dalits, the Bottom of Indias Caste Ladder. Check out the linked article on the Belt and road initiative now. U.S. access to the military facilities on the South China Seas southern flank, however, would shift the regions balance of power in Americas favor. With a maturing coast guard, navy and air force, Vietnam will become an increasingly prickly foe. China has constructed more than 3,000 acres of artificial islands, and although this is not illegal, it is an intimidating display of wealth and power. The 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea is an international treaty that sets out importantmaritime rules. Australia will be isolated with an uncertain future. Ownership claims to them are used to bolster claims to the surrounding sea and its resources. The risk to Chinese power projection lies predominantly with US interests. An Analysis of the South China Sea Dispute: Focusing on the Assessment PDF Beyond Territorial Disputes In The South China Sea Legal Frameworks For 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. 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. Hanoi and Canberra have launched a number of security dialogues and are expanding personnel exchanges, ship visits and officer training. Besides, more than half of the world's fishing vessels pass through the SCS. (PDF) Strategic Importance of Gwadar Port - ResearchGate In addition to fishing grounds, the South China Sea contains an abundance of energy resources, . By the end of the 1970s, communist insurgencies outside Indochina had been effectively suppressed. Few in Washington were inclined to see the South China Sea as a strategic priority engaging vital U.S. national interests. In addition, the United States has affirmed some responsibility for the defense of Taiwan and has close security ties with Singapore and New Zealand. See Media Page for more interview, contact, and citation details. 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. 2023 Center for Strategic & International Studies. South China Sea, Dispute, Map, Countries, Strategic Importance There were, however, cautionary signs for those prepared to see them. However, Brunei's insistence that specific issues in the maritime region should be . 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. Current developments in the South China Sea must be understood against the backdrop of recent history. 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Under President Xi Jinping, Beijing has undertaken more assertive policies that have greatly improved Beijings position in the South China Sea. Why does China care so much about the South China Sea? Here are 5 The sea is rich in resources and holds significant strategic and political importance. Persistent American military presence at the eastern, southern and western points of the compassespecially when combined with regional states advancing ISR capabilities, for which the United States is providing investmentwould enable the United States to respond rapidly to incidents in disputed island chains or to Chinese attacks on U.S. and allied naval and air assets or on commercial shipping. 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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. April 26, 2016 There is widespread interest in the rising tensions over the waters east of China. China's actions in the SCSincluding extensive . In December, another joint China-Russia naval exercise was held in the East China Sea (China Military Online, December 21, 2022). Nevertheless, Beijing had taken its first overt step to control the South China Sea. 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. - Interview with Mei Gechlik, Pelosi's visit to Taiwan Spiking Tensions Between the U.S. and China: an interview with Andrew K.P. When Beijing froze banana imports from the Philippines in the midst of the Scarborough Shoal standoff in 2012, it sent a clear message to its Southeast Asian neighbors: economic ties would not be immune from diplomatic contretemps. Should those ties continue to expand, moreover, the United States may find that it has greater flexibility in dealing with a vexing regional ally: Thailand. Narendra Modis Act East policy has resulted in an acceleration of burgeoning India-ASEAN ties and Indias position on the South China Sea territorial disputes essentially mirrors that of the United States. Notably, the paper identified Malaysia's maritime claims in the South China Sea as its top security concern. All countries want positive economic and security ties with both China and the United States. A South China Sea Strategy | American Enterprise Institute - AEI 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. China and the South China Sea | Wilson Center The strategic importance of the SCS is mainly due to its geographical location, as the area is one of the world's busiest and most strategic shipping lanes. Chinese Naval Strategy in the South China Sea: An Abundance of Noise Select Accept to consent or Reject to decline non-essential cookies for this use. 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 . It can receive large aircraft (including C-17s and C-130s); it is close to a deep seaport; and it has infrastructure capable of handling command and control systems. As one of the busiest trade routes in the world and home to a wealth of marine and mineral resources, the South China Sea holds great economic and geostrategic importance. Beijing may not find it quite as easy to run roughshod over Hanoi in the coming years. Geopolitical platform, analysis of political, military, security, economic, social events with international and geopolitics relevance. 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. The result has been to heighten tensions and allow Chinese forces to more easily project military power across the region. Australia, for its part, has vocally supported U.S. freedom of navigation exercises in the South China Sea and may have quietly conducted its own in recent months. 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. More than 50% of world trade passes. The United States has leverage over China in areas not directly related to South China Sea and may have to consider using or threatening to use these tools to stabilize the regional order. China has shown it is willing to accept substantial risk to achieve its ends, and has engaged in outright coercion against weaker neighbors like the Philippines and Vietnam. In particular, Thailand has a much more benign outlook on Chinas rise and on its activities in the South China Sea, and although suggestions that Bangkok would dump Washington for Beijing are certainly overstated, Thai elites are hesitant to be drawn into what they see as a U.S. effort to contain the kingdoms largest trade partner. It would also open the option of persistently jamming Chinese radar installations in the Spratlys. European access to Asia will be through Beijing. 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 USSJohn C. Stennistied up there for a few days in April. Geostrategic importance of Bangladesh for the USA | South Asia Journal U.S. goals to uphold regional alliances and partnerships, defend international rules and norms, and maintain a productive relationship with China remain valid. STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE OF SOUTH CHINA SEA - academia.edu In addition, it has proved oil and gas reserves, so the sovereignty of the disputed islands involves legal rights to exploit its resources. China has become increasingly assertive in the region, and regional powers from Japan to Singapore have become alarmed at China's behavior. February 27, 2023. The "Implementing the Strategic Action Programme for the South China Sea and Gulf of Thailand" (SCS SAP Project) completed its Inception Phase with the 1st Steering Committee Meeting held online on the 29 and 30 of June, 2021 with official representatives from Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam and the UNEP Task Manager for the project, with the support of . Report on U.S.-China Strategic Competition in South and East China Seas Three years ago an arbitration tribunal issued a decision finding that Chinas maritime claims in the South China Sea are inconsistent with the Law of the Sea Convention. The United States can stand firm on its principles and deter China from undermining the regional order while maintaining a productive relationship. 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. The end of the Cold War found East Asia and the Western Pacific strategically quiescent. "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. The South China Sea - Some Fundamental Strategic Principles 2014 The United States and the Philippines sign an enhanced defense pact, strengthening the U.S.-Filipino relationship. This geo strategic significance is the main reason behind the fact that China and other territorial stakeholders are contesting to gain control of these maritime lane. 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. Despite all that, Beijing now faces a competition with Washington (and Delhi and Tokyo) for influence in Naypyidaw. 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. Strategic Landscape of the South China Sea: While geopolitics indicates geographical relations with politics, there is another importance which is strategic. Because of its location, this sea is extremely strategic because it connects the Indian and Pacific Oceans (Strait of Malacca). This new strategic map of Southeast Asia actually began to take shape during the Bush administration, whichinitially launchedthe effort to move beyond Americas traditional hub-and-spokes alliance model in the Asia-Pacific. 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. The United States has been less successful in supporting local partners as they resist Chinese coercion. Most of China's global trade is seaborne. The United States and the West more broadly can live with such an outcome. In addition to far flung island territories (formerly occupied by Japan) in the South Pacific, the United States had a substantial military garrison in Japan and close ties with South Korea and the Philippines a former colony. Countries across the region prioritized economic growth and modernization. Thats why the United States has urged countries to resolve maritime claim disputes peacefully and in accordance with international law. director of the South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative at Peking . Chinas significant increase in spending and capability of its maritime forces is of note. The United States and its Pacific allies should consider whether it is feasible and sensible to coordinate the activities of USAID, the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), and Australias Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. In addition, tensions have been raised with the Philippines after assertive Chinese naval patrols which they described as aggressive action. In the past two weeks, Filipino . 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. Marcos Jr. had previously said his country would pursue oil and gas exploration in the South China Sea even without a deal with China, which claims almost all of the 1.3 million square mile South . The U.S. military used Utapao for refueling efforts during operations in Iraq and Afghanistan in the 2000s, as well as for multinational relief efforts after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and April 2015 Nepal earthquake., The U.S.-Thai alliance has also served as a platform for important training exercises. South China Sea - Wikipedia 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. Beyond that, there are a variety of formal security cooperation agreements with Vietnam, Indonesia, and Malaysia. 2013 The Philippines challenges Chinas claims of historic rights and other actions in an arbitration case under the Law of the Sea Convention. The strategic signal of an Indian presence in the South China Sea Harsh V. Pant India has wider stakes in South China Sea as nearly 55% of India's trade with the Indo-Pacific region passes through these waters. The 2022 Philippine Election: Trouble for Democracy and Foreign Relations Ahead? 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. In April, Australian Defence Force personnel joined the U.S.-Philippines Balikatan maneuvers, which included an amphibious landing exercise. 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. the South China Sea that would be " - S " ["permitting a leaf to obscure one's view of the mountain"]. In practice, Thailand may be neutral in the regions great power fissures into the next decade. 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. The U.S. U.S. Navy/Handout[/caption]. The South China Sea is one of the most important trade pathways in the world. 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. Anti-China alliance coalescing in South China Sea - Asia Times Inconsistent messaging and policiesincluding on freedom of navigation and routine presence operationshave also led to confusion in the region. Rough Waters Ahead for Vietnam-China Relations These same sea-lanes are a vital military artery as the U.S. The three core areas that must be defended and secured are the Malay Peninsula, Sabah and Sarawak. China's Art of Strategic Incrementalism in the South China Sea When China moved a massive oilrig, theHaiyang Shiyou 981, into Vietnams exclusive economic zone in 2014, Vietnam had limited options to respond, at either the low end or the high. The two countries elevated bilateral ties to an extensive strategic partnership in 2013 and Japan is in the midst of donating to Vietnam six patrol vessels (for use by the coast guard and fisheries ministry). economic importance associated with the ocean is tremendous and manifold. The Obama administration has made modest gains in this regard, but it will be up for to the next president to seize that opportunity and ensure that Southeast Asias future is prosperous, peaceful and free. 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. 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. In 1995, the Philippines discovered that China had occupied and militarized an atoll (Mischief Reef) well within the Philippines EEZ and within maritime territory claimed by Manila. It has also been known to give its fishermen military training for years, but recently this has been reported as more assertive with fishermen helping to underwrite and enforce sovereignty claims by occupying territory at sea, carrying out surveillance and harassing other vessels under the guise of civilian fishing boats. 1. and Amy Searight. The U.S.-Thai relationship has suffered since the 2006 coup that overthrew Thaksin Shinawatra and especially since the latest coup, which saw the military take control in 2014 and stubbornly cling to power. Since the mid-1990s, China has pursued a strategy . That redundancy will grant the United States flexibility in a couple of ways. China, Asia, and the Changing Strategic Importance of the Gulf and MENA By contrast, China views. Chinese warplane intercepts US Navy plane over South China Sea Report Pressing Challenges to U.S. Army Acquisition: A Conversation with Hon. 2016 The Arbitration Tribunal rules in favor of the Philippines. Japan and South Korea will face a perilous new reality with China in control of the seaborne lifeline of both countries. The South China Sea in Strategic Terms | Wilson Center China, Russia and the Munich Security Conference. US and China is engaging in this sea to control all significance. Malaysia's Diplomacy in the South China Sea: Between the Devil and the 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. Thanks to the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), American power projection capabilities will be regularly present in the Philippines for the first time since the early 1990s. 1) Islands are much more strategically valuable. What evidence is there of increased projection of Maritime Power? African community leaders take home lessons from U.S. The islands are important, however, for strategic and political reasons. LinkedIn and 3rd parties use essential and non-essential cookies to provide, secure, analyze and improve our Services, and to show you relevant ads (including professional and job ads) on and off LinkedIn. What countries are claiming sovereignty, and to what extent is this disrupting regional stability? China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia and. Southeast Asia will inevitably be rendered subordinate and compliant to Chinas will. 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. First, the United States should feel more confident to pressure the junta on human rights concerns. Importantly, the countries of maritime Southeast Asia are not aligning only with the United States, but with a grouping of external states concerned with the nature of Chinas rise.