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. 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. According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), it carries one-third of global shipping, carrying trillions of dollars in trade, making it a significant geopolitical water body. Security, Strategy, and Military Dynamics in South China Sea: Cross More importantly, it also covers the most crucial energy routes for East Asian countries to transport oil and natural gas from the Persian Gulf. Report 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. Notably, the paper identified Malaysia's maritime claims in the South China Sea as its top security concern. 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. As sovereignty over the SCS involves Chinas economic, energy and national security interests it is highly likely that the increased projection of maritime power will continue. Examining Malaysia's Evolving Policy toward the South China Sea By the end of the 1970s, communist insurgencies outside Indochina had been effectively suppressed. The three core areas that must be defended and secured are the Malay Peninsula, Sabah and Sarawak. The strategic value of the alliance remains high, according to theCongressional Research Service: *** U.S. Under President Xi Jinping, Beijing has undertaken more assertive policies that have greatly improved Beijings position in the South China Sea. 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. Countries across the region prioritized economic growth and modernization. India will lose its current freedom of access into the South China Sea and much of Southeast Asia. And thus a new strategic map of Asia begins to emerge. If full democratization is her goal, there is no foreign partner more important than Washington for achieving it. Japan and South Korea will face a perilous new reality with China in control of the seaborne lifeline of both countries. 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An Analysis of the South China Sea Dispute: Focusing on the Assessment President Musharraf requested China to invest in this important strategic chokepoint in the Indian Ocean., to which China agreed. Unfortunately, some countries fail to comply with the existing international law. 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. The USA have a direct connection to the area through various allies, connections and trade, and this will naturally continue. From the report. 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. Washingtons relationship with Hanoi will make that more palatable. Inconsistent messaging and policiesincluding on freedom of navigation and routine presence operationshave also led to confusion in the region. 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. 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. That included nearly 40 percent of Chinas total trade and 90 percent of petroleum imports by China, Japan, and South Korea and nearly 6 percent of total U.S. trade. The two major power of the world i.e. (PDF) China's Strategy in the South China Sea - ResearchGate Meanwhile, Japan is providing ten new multi-role vessels to the Philippine Coast Guard; Manila is also interested in procuring used P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft from Tokyo. It has deep ties with the military, which still dominates key parts of the government, and is a major player in the economy. In May, Australia and Singapore agreed to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. In the defense realm, the CSP paves the way for more bilateral military exercises, greater Singaporean access to Australian training facilities, enhanced intelligence-sharing arrangements and expanded people-to-people exchanges. The same cannot be said for China and a maritime Southeast Asia that aligns with the United States. 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 . Today's world is the US-led where China is a rising giant economically and politically. Even if Beijings island-building campaign succeeds in turning the South China Sea into a Chinese lake, it will be one in which Chinese forces are constantly monitored and from which they can only depart with implicit American acquiescence. For example, targeted sanctions on Chinese companies involved in destabilizing activities could be considered. in the northeast, the South China Sea is one of the most important trade routes in the world. China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia and. U.S. military advantage is of limited utility in this area and Washington has struggled to convince local partners to join in freedom of navigation operations. 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). Given these advantages, Washington can afford to focus on the long game in Asia, confident that Chinese adventurism is likely to push many states to turn to the United States for support. Chinese fighter jet flies within 500 feet of U.S. patrol over South China perceives Vietnam as an obstacle for acquiring its control over this strategic sea. U.S. interests in the South China Sea fall into three broad categories including: (1) Economic interests tied to the sea-lanes; (2) Defense ties with allies and other security partners; and (3) Implications for the global balance of power and influence. This article examines Chinas behaviour in the South China Sea disputes through the lens of its strategy for managing its claims. Other claimant states welcome U.S. involvement precisely because Washington does not favor one claimants territorial ambitions over those of the others. The United States emerged from World War II as a resident great power in East Asia. During the George W. Bush administration, U.S. forces in the Philippines were focused primarily on aiding the Philippine military in its counterterror fight. European access to Asia will be through Beijing. The South China Sea is one of the most important economic and environmental regions in the world. 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. It was the first time that had ever occurred. The United States can, if necessary, accept a continental Southeast Asia that leans China without major concern for Americas primary interests. Such access would complement the renewed U.S. presence in the Philippines; facilitate a regular American presence in the western part of the South China Sea; enable the United States to more easily defendor seal upthe Malacca Strait; and, it should be noted, put American forces within striking distance of major Chinese bases on Hainan, including port facilities that host Chinas ballistic missile submarines. It is little surprise, then, that Southeast Asian states are drawing closer to the United Statesboth seeking aid in developing their own defense capabilities and hoping that stronger ties act as a deterrent to Chinese assertiveness. The United States can do more to leverage its alliances in Asia to raise the costs of Chinese efforts to undermine the regional order. through South China Sea Port is 1400 kms long. Why Is the South China Sea Important? - Money Morning U.S. goals to uphold regional alliances and partnerships, defend international rules and norms, and maintain a productive relationship with China remain valid. 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. Chinese Naval Strategy in the South China Sea: An Abundance of Noise Many of these countries suffer from corruption and lack for effective rule of law. Sun Tzu Explains China's Shaping Operations in the South China Sea 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. 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 this end, the new administration should perform an early, top-down, and thorough strategic review to enable greater consistency and effectiveness in U.S. South China Sea policy. Journals and books. In April, Australian Defence Force personnel joined the U.S.-Philippines Balikatan maneuvers, which included an amphibious landing exercise. China's Maritime Choke Points - Geopolitical Futures China, however, must now balance its continental concerns, which remain complex, against its new dependence on the maritime domain. 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. South China Sea - Wikipedia Australia will be isolated with an uncertain future. In . The reaction of the Chinese Foreign Minister was incendiary and revealing. Leung, The Consequences of Conquest: Why Indo-Pacific Power Hinges on Taiwan, United States vs China: from Partnership to Antagonism - Interview with Alfredo Toro Hardy, How the Ukraine War changes Global Geopolitics, What The Economist omits to address in President Xi's vision of a global security order, Armenia: Trapped in Between Interview with Gayane Novikova, How Chinas COVID Policy Reversal Impacts Globally: an interview with Neeraj Singh Manha, Marcos-Xi Durian Diplomacy Climbs to Higher Gear, Is the EU Really Willing to Enlarge in the Western Balkans? China has adopted an increasingly assertive posture towards its own claims by elevating it to a core interest, strengthening its fishery law enforcement and building civilian and military facilities in the disputed islands and waters. Cobra Gold, hosted by Thailand and led by the United States, is the largest annual multilateral military exercise in Asia. This principled stand allows the United States to defend its interests without embroiling itself in the murky sovereignty claims at the heart of the South China Sea dispute. 2016 The Arbitration Tribunal rules in favor of the Philippines. Chinas rising military power and political influence is generating anxiety and suspicion among some of its neighbours and western powers. U.S. access to the South China Sea is coming under increasing threat as Chinese power increases, but can be preserved if the United States maintains a sufficient military advantage over China. The main route to and from Pacific and Indian ocean ports is through the Strait of Malacca and the South China Sea. China and The Four Views Strategy - Modern Diplomacy Cross-Strait relations: The strategic importance of Taiwan Generally, oil and minerals move north, and food and manufactured goods move south. 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. . U.S. policy in the South China Sea has been overly reliant on military options, which may not always be the most effective response. In recent years, U.S. military planners have shifted their focus from counterterrorism, low intensity conflict to great power, high intensity threats. 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. The diplomatic tempest at the ARF came when U.S. security attention was preoccupied with ongoing military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq as well as the global counterterrorism campaign with Osama bin Laden still at large. The message will be clear; the era of American international leadership and predominance is over and a new preeminent power has taken its place. 5 min. China's actions in the SCSincluding extensive . These same sea-lanes are a vital military artery as the U.S. February 27, 2023. 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. Therefore, the US plays a key role in influencing the resolution of the SCS disputes. South China Sea, Dispute, Map, Countries, Strategic Importance Burma, however, is a potential bright spot for the U.S. position in continental Southeast Asia. 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. China, Russia and the Munich Security Conference. The United States and the West more broadly can live with such an outcome. South China Sea - Economic aspects | Britannica The new administration should provide authoritative explanations of these operations and not alter their schedule in response to Chinese pressure. economic importance associated with the ocean is tremendous and manifold. 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. However, Brunei's insistence that specific issues in the maritime region should be . Why is the South China Sea so important to the US? In other words, his primary concern is that the rivalry over the South China Sea could derail Beijing's strong strategic focus on the Taiwan issue.25 Academic perspectives on the South China Sea are important and may actually be quite influential. Strategic. India has proactively engaged in the South China Sea (SCS), notably via boosting its naval presence and forging ties with Vietnam despite China's aggression. 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. Media Relations Manager, External Relations. The Strategic Importance of the South China Sea - academia.edu Strategic Landscape of the South China Sea: While geopolitics indicates geographical relations with politics, there is another importance which is strategic. South China Sea is a strategic sea lane is significance for connectivity, navigation, trade and resources is a global hotspot as a potential flashpoint. The area is globally important for a few reasons. Ownership claims to them are used to bolster claims to the surrounding sea and its resources. Beijings moves have prompted Washington to counter Chinese assertiveness by forging a new strategic alignment in the regionone in which China dominates the South China Sea from the north, the United States and its partners do so from the east and west, and the states of continental Southeast Asia remain neutral or lean toward Beijing in the intensifying U.S.-China strategic competition. Thailand has little reason to jettison the alliance, but in the near term the United States may need to accept more distant ties and a closer Thai-Chinese relationship. 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. The South China Sea in Strategic Terms | Wilson Center Not taking a position on sovereignty allows the United States to flexibly intervene in the South China Sea to defend its interests and international rules and norms, while undercutting Chinese attempts to paint U.S. actions as a threat to Beijings sovereignty. Even then, the countrys division between royalists and red-shirts will likely endure. In October 2020, Hong Kong's air traffic control denied a Taiwanese flight access to Pratas Island, a Taiwan-occupied feature in the South China Sea. Why is the South China Sea contentious? - BBC News Then again, China may see its efforts in the South China Sea blunted. 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. If China can exert complete control over the region, using predominantly the maritime domain, it can build a significant strategic sphere of influence and power. 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. China and the South China Sea | Wilson Center The United States has been less successful in supporting local partners as they resist Chinese coercion. Since the mid-1990s, China has pursued a strategy . It is a rich source of hydrocarbons and natural resources. "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 . Brunei, ASEAN and the South China Sea | Lowy Institute Stay Connected! Enduring U.S. interestsfreedom of navigation and overflight, support for the rules-based international order, and the peaceful resolution of disputesare at risk in the region. 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. Finally, the United States should prioritize governance issues in its relations with Southeast Asian states. China is undertaking a persistent, long-term effort to establish control over the South China Sea. It is one in which China dominates the South China Sea from the north; the United States and its partners dominate the eastern and western edges of the sea; and the bulk of continental Southeast Asian states (Thailand, Cambodia and Laos) are either neutral or aligned more closely with China. The growing size and capability of the Chinese air force, navy, and coast guard allow Beijing to consistently monitor and exercise de facto control over most of the South China Sea. Due to the strategic importance of the area, China will continue to establish a maritime power in the SCS as the most dominant player among states in the region. In December, another joint China-Russia naval exercise was held in the East China Sea (China Military Online, December 21, 2022). Chinese Military Expansionism in the South China Sea Less sexy but no less important is a forthcoming arrangement by which Vietnam will allow the United States military to preposition supplies and equipment in Da Nang on the central coast. With a new Southeast Asian strategic alignment taking shape as described, geography makes Indonesia and Malaysiaespecially due to its Sabah and Sarawak states on Borneothe regions key swing states. 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. By the mid-1990s, relations with Vietnam had begun a rapidly improvement. 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. The USSJohn C. Stennistied up there for a few days in April. Chinas significant increase in spending and capability of its maritime forces is of note. The Korean War produced formal defense treaties with each of these countries plus a new, permanent military presence in South Korea. In short, adopting a more robust deterrence approach need not prevent cooperation that is in the interests of both countries. The U.S. 2023 Center for Strategic & International Studies. The annual Cobra Gold exercise is Asias largest multilateral military exercise. 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It has increased its military budget by over 8.5% in recent years and this is likely to continue for the near future. Chinese missiles on the mainland already hold all U.S. Asian bases at risk. 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.
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