News Highlights:
- In 2013, the Philippines used the UNCLOS’s dispute resolution process to challenge China’s so-called “nine-dash line” in relation to the disputed Spratly Islands.
- In response, the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) at The Hague ruled in response that the line had “no legal basis”.
- China dismissed the judgment as “null and void.”
South China Sea (SCS):
- About:
- The South China Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean.
- It is connected by Taiwan Strait with the East China Sea and Luzon Strait with the Philippine Sea.
- The South China Sea (SCS) is important not just to its littoral countries. It has been a transit point for trade since early medieval times, contains abundantly rich fisheries, and is a repository of mineral deposits and hydrocarbon reserves.
- Littoral states
- China, Taiwan, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, Singapore and Vietnam.
The South China Sea dispute
- China’s claim:
- China claims almost all of the resource-rich sea, through which trillions of dollars in shipping trade passes annually, with competing claims from Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.
- China’s claim to the sea is based both on the Law of the Sea Convention and its so-called nine-dash line. This line extends for 2,000 Km from the Chinese mainland, encompassing over half of the sea.
- Contesting Claims Over Islands:
- Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam also have competing claims to various islands and features in the area
- China, Taiwan, and Vietnam claim the Paracel Islands.
- China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Brunei and the Philippines claim the Spratly Islands.
- The Philippines, China and Taiwan claim the Scarborough Shoal.
- US role:
- The US is playing a very important role in mending the dispute because it has wide-ranging security commitments in East Asia and is allied with several of the countries bordering the South China Sea, such as the Philippines, Singapore, and Vietnam.
- It is also impacting the US.
- India’s Stand:
- India has a commercial interest in the South China Sea (SCS) region. But it follows the policy of not involving itself in disputes between sovereign nations.
- India has been concerned about the security of its trade flows and energy interests in the South China Sea.
- Vietnam has offered India seven oil blocks in its territory of the SCS- this move didn’t get down well with China.
- India has signed energy deals with Brunei too.
- India being a member of the QUAD makes China susceptible to India’s stand because the grouping is considered, by the world, to be a type of containing mechanism for China.
Significance of the South China Sea:
- Resources:
- The Sea is a significant source of natural resources for the different territories.
- It is a source of about 10 per cent of the country’s fishery, making it an essential food source for hundreds of people.
- Trade route
- The route passing through it, Malacca Strait, is home to 55% of the trade.
- It is one of the busiest routes for trade.
- Strategic Importance
- This sea holds tremendous strategic importance for its location as it connects the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean (Strait of Malacca).
Way Forward:
- It is essential to maintain and promote peace, stability and development in the area of the South China Sea so that regional stability can be developed and respected by all.
- At the same time, bigger countries in the region should be mindful of the views of their smaller neighbours and mediate to find peaceful solutions.
Pic Courtesy: Freepik
Content Source: The Hindu