Let us get to know about the strategic importance of the South China Sea and Beijing's never-ending nefarious activities in . But as it does so, it acts as midwife . The South China Sea as a Sanctuary . After the end of France's occupation of North Vietnam in 1945, the border with China — early Vietnam's first strategic concern — gradually ceased to be a pressing issue. "Controlling Taiwan would facilitate China's operations in the South China Sea and enable it to assert its territorial and maritime claims even more aggressively against the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei. At the economic front, it is estimated that an annual global trade of $5.3 trillion passes through the SCS. . January 4, 2021. by Irfan Ali 30 September 2020 The South China Sea (SCS) has great strategic and economic significance in the contemporary international politico-security environment. by Irfan Ali 30 September 2020 The South China Sea (SCS) has great strategic and economic significance in the contemporary international politico-security environment. China Power Project - South China Sea Trade . As with all strategies, geostrategy is concerned with matching means to ends —in this case, a country's resources (whether they are limited or extensive) with its geopolitical objectives (which can be local . This militarization by China began in 2014 and continues till date. Philippine . The South China Sea is a strategic body of water bordering Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Viet Nam and China. China's actions in the SCS—including extensive island-building and base- . For too long, the standard narrative on tensions in the South China Sea has centered on regional states viewing China with disdain which fits into . More than 50% of world trade passes. To counter China's efforts to control the South China Sea, the United States needs a sustainable strategy to bolster its own capabilities, work more effectively with capable allies and partners, and strengthen the regional order. Five countries have claimed . It is the link between the Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean. Specifically, the U.S. should: Take an official position regarding disputed SCS land features . South China Sea is one of the world largest and semi enclosed sea. Generally, oil and minerals move north, and food and manufactured goods move south. an area of strategic, political, and economic importance to the United States and its allies and partners. In the days of sailing ships, a ship could sail from either an Indian or Chinese port with one monsoon and return the next. Suddenly, China's sweeping "nine-dash line" would become even more real and more easily enforceable by Beijing." The ECS is one of the largest marginal seas in the world. The shift in America's strategic focus from fighting terrorism in the Middle East -and its "long wars" in Afghanistan as well as Iraq and Syria - to competition with China has led to a growing level of confrontation and possible wars in Taiwan and the South China Sea. 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. South China Sea is also strategically important due to the rising competition between China, Vietnam, Philippine and the US for military supremacy in the Asia-Pacific region. Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative/CSIS. The mysterious tunnels where China hides its strategic assets from the watchful eyes of potential adversaries offer several important advantages. China is working hard to bring under its control the water, islands, rocks and reefs that sit within its imaginary nine-dash line. The South China Sea is also where the parameters of the Sino-American "New Cold War" is most pronounced and, accordingly, profoundly troubling. The United States should therefore develop and promulgate a National Strategy for the South China Sea. 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 in relation to international trade. This paper analyzes the South China Sea conflict through a prism of strategic culture theory and examines both the Chinese narrative on the conflict as well as the actual Chinese behavior in the area. 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 . When, in 2016, a tribunal in The Hague ruled that China's claims in the South China Sea were without merit, the new president of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, made it clear he would ignore . It is a dispute over territory and sovereignty over ocean areas, and the Paracels and the Spratlys - two island chains claimed in whole or in part by a number of . The South China Sea is a vast area measuring 3.6 million square kilometres, more than double the size of the Gulf of Mexico. The neighboring South East Asian countries of the highly volatile and busiest waterways of the South China Sea (SCS) have overlapping claims of sovereignty. In a Joint Strategic Vision for the Asia-Pacific and the Indian Ocean Region, India and the USA talked about ensuring freedom of navigation and resolving disputes according to UNCLOS referring to the South China Sea but after Philippines won the arbitration award in its favour in 2016, India has clearly separated itself from the dispute. Some areas in the central South China Sea are not well sounded . 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 . "China's militarization and territorial expansion in the South China Sea is illegal and dangerous," Vice President Pence said at the East Asia Summit last year. Because it is such a large body of water, the South China Sea is bounded by several countries, including China and . Actions by China's maritime forces at . Importance of South China Sea The South China Sea is a busy international waterway, one of the main arteries of global trade worth more than $5 trillion and is growing year on year. August 15, 2020. From busiest . The South China Sea contains some of the world's most important shipping lanes. However, Brunei's insistence that specific issues in the maritime region should be . Preserving the U.S. military edge is key to maintaining the U.S. position in Asia. The sea, unlike land, creates clearly defined borders, giving it the potential to reduce conflict. All its islands are coral, low and small, about 5 to 6 meters above water, spread over 160,000 to 180,000 square kilometers of sea zone . The Indian Ocean, South China Sea, and the sea straits of South East Asia. It is south of China, east & south of Vietnam, west of the Philippines and north of the island of Borneo. So, when an all -sea route It may not be in a "choke" situation as Vietnam in the matter, because Malaysia has access to the Indian Ocean via its control of the Strait of Malacca. . Their presence was an ominous reminder of China's intention to claim large swaths of the South China Sea, enclosed by the so-called "nine-dash line," as its sovereign territory. The contours of the talks, the areas discussed the stance of neutrality undertaken and future courses of action charted underline why strategic wisdom instead of petty geopolitics in the South China Sea is critical for regional stability. He noted that the talks that China and the ten members of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) have been conducting for several years to craft an agreed Code of Conduct (COC) for the SCS have shown some progress, particularly with the production of a "Single Draft Negotiating Text," which was attained back in September 2018. The South China Sea (SCS) has great strategic and economic significance in the contemporary international politico-security environment. The Importance of the South China Sea. Johnson South Reef, November 15, 2014. The seasonal changes of the monsoons meet at the southern entrance of the Straits of Malacca. Even the fastest warships travel comparatively slowly, 35 knots . At the economic front, it is estimated that an annual global trade of $5.3 trillion passes through the SCS. The South China Sea is a prominent part of the Chinese concept of zonal defence, one that has assumed a special significance within it as China's naval power has expanded. Both the similarities and the differences commend sea-power theorist Alfred Actions by China's maritime forces at . "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. In the Spratlys, China has built airfields at Subi, Mischief and Fiery . Since 2013, China has demonstrated increasingly-assertive behaviour in the South China Sea as a means to protect its sovereignty and safeguard the attendant maritime rights and interests, It stretches around 3.5 million square kilometers (1.4 million square miles) (Jennings, 2017). Nearly a third of total demand went to the Asian-Pacific and Americas regions, according to Statista. South China Sea issue has been under spotlight. The average depth of sea is 4,000 feet with its continental shelf. The ECS is connected with the SCS the Yellow Sea the Sea of Japan and the Pacific Ocean (Niu, 2016). Besides, more than half of the world's fishing vessels pass through the It wants to control the South China Sea. Historically, the Pratas Islands have attracted little attention, but as the importance of the South China Sea has increased, so too has the strategic relevance of the Pratas Islands. What is the argument about? Although of less strategic importance to the PRC than the South China Sea, the East China Sea is a flashpoint of huge magnitude and involves a dispute with Japan of hundreds of years (Dixon 1054). The strategic importance of the South China Sea is mainly due to its geographical location as the area is one of world's busiest and most strategic shipping lanes. In addition to fishing grounds, the South China Sea contains an abundance of energy resources, . It exhibits characteristics similar to the Mediterranean Sea and the Caribbean Sea, as well as some revealing differences. The sea has been a bone of contention for quite some time among not only its littoral . China has established numerous military installations in the South China Sea, primarily in the Spratly and Paracel Islands. According to a 1995 study by Russia's Research Institute of Geology of Foreign Countries, the equivalent of 6 billion barrels of oil might be located in the Spratly Islands area, of which 70 percent would be natural gas. Both the similarities and the differences commend sea-power theorist Alfred Map of the South China Sea. By controlling a large proportion of the South China Sea, China will be able to achieve the following: Economic: It is estimated that the South China Sea may contain one-hundred and five billion barrels of Brunei's statement seems to present a unified front with the Philippines and Vietnam, in preparation for its ASEAN chairmanship in 2021, where ASEAN and China hope to finalise the formulation of the code of conduct to reduce tensions in the South China Sea. . 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 … In . Obviously that body of water and its land features are not coterminous with Southeast Asia, nor with East Asia, Asia, Eurasia, or the Asia-Pacific, let . 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. The strategic importance of the South China Sea is mainly due to its geographical location as the area is one of world's busiest and most strategic shipping lanes. The South China Sea's northern sibling: the East China Sea, home to the Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands, is a case in point. China is carrying out incursions, sinking foreign ships, establishing new districts, giving Chinese names to islands, building new artificial islands and using fishing vessels as maritime militias in the South China Sea. is challenging an increasingly anxious status quo power (US) in one of the world's most important . A magnifying glass. The upshot of this strategic exuberance is the eventual establishment of the much . Imports to sate Asia's growing energy needs will largely pass through the strategic Strait of. The South China Sea is one of the most important economic and environmental regions in the world. ChinaPower found that an estimated $3.4 trillion in trade passed through the South China Sea in 2016. By controlling a large proportion of the South China Sea, China will be able to achieve the following: Economic: It is estimated that the South China Sea may contain one-hundred and five billion barrels of natural gas imports which transit the sea lanes of the South China Sea that is more important than the resources beneath. Strategic value of the. Over the last few years, tensions between China and Vietnam in the South China Sea have remained high, impacting fishing and natural resource exploration in disputed waters. At the economic front, it is estimated that an annual global trade of $5.3 trillion passes through the SCS. I argue here that while the ASEAN countries have continued to . The strategic importance of the South China Sea cannot be overstated. Strategic Importance: This sea holds tremendous strategic importance for its location as it is the connecting link between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean . output of salt is estimated 604,000 ton. Islands in the South China Sea The islands of the South China Sea can be grouped into two island chains. We have taken a look at the South China Sea, its economic importance, and the territorial disputes involving the region. "It threatens the sovereignty of many nations and endangers the prosperity of the world." A third of the world's shipping passes through it, its fisheries are critical sources of food for millions of people in . It indicates, "Click to perform a search". by Derek Grossman. Besides, more than half of the world's fishing vessels pass through the SCS. The South China Sea (SCS) has great strategic and economic significance in the contemporary international politico-security environment. As the incoming Biden administration formulates its South China Sea strategy, one regional partner that looms large is Vietnam. The South China Sea covers an area of some 4 million square kilometres. . South China Sea is only a small part on the map, but it plays a vital role in the stability of the Pacific-Asian region. The United States has formally objected to China's South China Sea maritime claims. The South China Sea is important for Malaysia from economic, social, strategic and security aspects. China's strategic ends in the South China Sea can be divided into two categories, economic and military. Most all of it will pass through the strategic . 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. economic importance associated with the ocean is tremendous and manifold. China's actions in the SCS—including extensive island-building and base- . Regarding the South China Sea, Amb. The main route to and from Pacific and Indian ocean ports is through the Strait of Malacca and the South China Sea. Over the past several years, the South China Sea (SCS) has emerged as an arena of U.S.-China strategic competition. mid-1990s, China has pursued a strategy of delaying the resolution of the dispute. The South China Sea is located in the Western Pacific Ocean and it covers approximately 3,700,000 sq km. A vertical stack of three evenly spaced horizontal lines. In the modern era, the sea more than the land determined Vietnam's strategy — namely maintaining a unified, sovereign nation. The Spratlys links the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean. The Philippines has begun using Subic Bay facing the South China Sea as a naval base, the country's navy said this week in a move aimed at countering China's increasing assertiveness in the . The notion that the government of China does not know what it wants in the South China Sea is no longer tenable. Thus it became important for US, China, Japan, Korean The geopolitical message was unmistakable: Western expectations that China was transitioning toward political democracy were entirely illusory. It has vital trade arteries, with $5 trillion or about one third of the world's commerce passing through its waters, fisheries that account for 12 per cent of the global catch, and estimated reserves of eleven billion barrels of oil and 190 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. Besides, more than half of the world's fishing vessels pass through the The South China Sea may be an important source of oil and natural gas. But socio-culturally and strategically the South China Sea matters to Malaysia. The South China Sea is an arm of western Pacific Ocean in Southeast Asia. STRATEGIC FEATURES OF THE SOUTH CHINA SEA T he South China Sea is a semienclosed sea at the intersection between East Asia and the Indian Ocean region. This thesis will also study possible solutions and effects on both the region and the international community. While Chinese naval capabilities are in the development phase the navy requires protective sanctuaries against The importance of the ECS China lies in its proximity . South China Sea or even some part of its strategically significant zones will provide the sovereign nation state significant seat in global trade agreements. STRATEGIC FEATURES OF THE SOUTH CHINA SEA T he South China Sea is a semienclosed sea at the intersection between East Asia and the Indian Ocean region. There were, however, cautionary signs for those prepared to see them. The South China Sea is a semi-closed sea located in the Pacific Ocean adjacent to East Asia. It exhibits characteristics similar to the Mediterranean Sea and the Caribbean Sea, as well as some revealing differences. an area of strategic, political, and economic importance to the United States and its allies and partners. Regional solutions for Regional problems: The South China Sea is an area of growing concern over conflicting territorial claims, piracy, poaching, resource depletion, pollution, drug trafficking, illegal . More than 50% of world trade passes through the Strait of Malacca, the Sunda Strait and Lombok Strait over the islands and waters of the South China Sea. By Irfan Ali*. These estimates represent a sizeable proportion of international trade, constituting between 21 percent of global trade in 2016, but is nonetheless 36 percent smaller than the original $5.3 trillion. It takes a modern warship just over three days to sail at top speed of . The militarization of the Spratly Islands is a significant example in this regard. The largest and most powerful of these . It is a rich source of hydrocarbons and natural resources. multifaceted fiscal and strategic benefits, acting as a magnet for the regional as well as . If there are issues, they must be discussed bilaterally without any consideration for camp politics. Over the past several years, the South China Sea (SCS) has emerged as an arena of U.S.-China strategic competition. It is a strategic maritime link between the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean, and therefore of paramount importance to major naval powers. Geostrategy, a subfield of geopolitics, is a type of foreign policy guided principally by geographical factors as they inform, constrain, or affect political and military planning. Its surface area covers this region receives a tremendous inflow of freshwater and terrestrial sediments mainly from mainland China. Another importance of South China Sea is that it is the one-third trade passage of global maritime passage. The strategic landscape of the Western Pacific and Southeast Asia in the early 1990s was remarkably benign with optimism in full flower. 5. China's strategic ends in the South China Sea can be divided into two categories, economic and military. 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 goal of this strategy is to consolidate China's claims, especially to maritime rights or jurisdiction over. At the economic front, it is estimated that . Its actual behavior says what it wants. Vietnam occupies twenty-one islands on which it has built runways, piers, barracks, storage tanks, and gun . . South China Sea has vital significance in the region as well as indo-pacific geopolitics. Malacca strait is the cheep sea passage of Persian Gulf. Then there is speed to consider. Such nuances require regional states such as the Philippines to exercise strategic wisdom by shelving misgivings and bridging trust deficits which are allowed to fester in provocative environments. The following is the Dec. 12, 2021, Congressional Research Service report U.S.-China Strategic Competition in South and East China Seas: Background and Issues for Congress. More than 50% of world trade passes through the Strait of Malacca, the Sunda Strait and Lombok Strait over the islands and waters of the South China Sea. In fact, China is so fascinated by the strategic significance of the South China Sea that it has began militarizing a number of islands within the Sea.