SECURITY DILEMMA IN SOUTH

CHINA SEA:
ROLE OF MAJOR POWERS
ZUNAIRA AMJAD
Introduction
 1
SOUTH CHINA SEA
LOCATION:
Lies at south of mainland China and Taiwan; north of Indonesia,
Malaysia and Brunei; east of the Philippines; and west of Vietnam.
AREA:
Three million square kilometers of water. The seabed area of the South
China Sea consists of about one million square kilometers of continental
shelf
CLAIMS
China, Taiwan, and Vietnam, with portions being claimed by Brunei,
Malaysia and the Philippines.
• Objectives

• Hypothesis

• Methodology

• Implementation

Larana University | 2024

 1
SOUTH CHINA SEA
• More than 200 islets, rocks and reefs (not suitable for human habitation)
• Due to its rich natural resources and strategic location, the area has become of
economic and security importance in the region.
• The Spratly and Paracel Islands consist of more than 100 small islands and
reefs that are surrounded by rich fishing grounds, and more importantly, the
potential of large gas and oil deposits.
SECURITY DILEMMA
A situation in international relations where
one state's efforts to enhance its security
are perceived as threatening by other states
, leading to a spiral of mistrust, arms races,
and heightened tensions.
 IMPORTANCE
• One of the most significant body of water.
• one of the most strategic waterways in the world.
• These waterways are important for the passage of
military and commercial vessels, especially large
tankers. Thus, its importance extends to claimant
countries, but also to international trade.
• The presence of valuable resources, such as oil, gas
reserves, and abundant fisheries, further intensifies
competition and conflicts
 IMPORTANCE
• The transit point for one-third of all shipping
worldwide annually
• A minimum of 3.7 million people depend on the
South China Sea for their livelihoods, and the
region is home to about 3,365 species of marine
fish.
• Strategically, it connects the Indian and Pacific
Oceans and is located near the eastern end of the
Strait of Malacca, one of the world's two busiest
narrows and a critical chokepoint
 SECURITY DILEMMA IN IN SOUTH CHINA SEA
• Territorial disputes in the South China Sea have a long history, but tensions have escalated
recently. China's extensive claims, including sovereignty over land masses and surrounding
waters, have sparked anger among rival claimants such as Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan,
Malaysia, and Brunei. These countries have also asserted ownership over islands and specific
areas within the sea, like the Paracels and the Spratlys.
• China has supported its claims through activities like constructing islands and conducting
naval patrols. While the US maintains a stance of neutrality in such disputes, it has conducted
military operations near contested islands under the banner of "freedom of navigation."
Additionally, Japan, despite not having direct interests in the South China Sea, has provided
support to claimants like Vietnam and the Philippines by supplying ships and military
equipment. These factors contribute to a volatile environment where defensive actions are
perceived as threats, escalating tensions and risking conflict.
 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
CHINA DREW A TERRITORIAL MAP OF ITS INFLUENCE THAT
1279 INCLUDED THE ENTIRE SOUTH CHINA SEA.

SAN FRANCISCO TREATY, FOLLOWED JAPAN’S DEFEAT IN WORLD

WAR II. WITHIN THE TERMS OF ITS SURRENDER, JAPAN GAVE UP
1951 ITS RIGHTS TO ITS ISLANDS IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA, LEAVING A
POWER VACUUM IN THE REGION.

THE UNITED NATIONS LAW ESTABLISHED THE EXCLUSIVE

1982 ECONOMIC ZONES (EEZS). RIGHT AFTER, CHINA REITERATED ITS
NINE-DASH LINE, REFUSING TO CLARIFY THE LIMITS OF THIS
LINE AND REJECTING THE CLAIMS OF OTHER CLAIMANT
COUNTRIES.
 UNCLOS
• United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
• the treaty establishes the rights of a sovereign state
over the continental shelf surrounding it and the
creation of exclusive economic zones (EEZs)
• UNCLOS made things fairer by giving each country
specific rights and limits in the ocean. For example, it
said countries could only claim certain areas near their
shores as their own.
• UNCLOS didn't talk about who owns which islands,
so that's still a separate issue
CLAIMS ON SOUTH CHINA
SEA
 BASIS OF BRUNEI DARUSSALAM'S CLAIM
• Does not claim any of the islands
• Claims part of the South China Seas nearest to it as part of its
continental shelf and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
• The UNCLOS gave way for Brunei to claim part of the area
due to its continental shelf argument.
• Brunei asserts that the southern part of the Spratly chain is
actually a part of its continental shelf, and therefore, is its
territory and resources
 BASIS OF MALAYSIA'S CLAIM
• Claims over parts of the South China Sea based on
the continental shelf, territorial sea, exclusive
economic zone (EEZ).
• Malaysia controls three disputed islands
• Aims for the entire chain, citing clear coordinates
and continental shelf principles
 Basis of Republic of China's (Taiwan) Claim
• Taiwan's argument is the same as that of China.
• It claimed the island based on its assertion that Taiwan is actually the part of true
China.
• Since Taiwan claims to be the true China, it believes the Spratly's belong to them
and not to the People's Republic of China.
• Chinese nationalists (The Kuomintang), set foot on the Spratly Islands on
December 1946 and occupied the most important island: Itu Aba, the largest island
in the Spratly chain. Since then Taiwan continue to occupy Itu Aba. Thus, Taiwan,
as the Republic of China (ROC), claims exactly the same territories as the
People’s Republic of China.
 BASIS OF THE PHILIPPINES CLAIM
• Focus on Scarborough Shoal and the Kalayaan island group in
the Spratly Islands.
• The Spanish-American War, leading to the cession of lands to
the United States and later to the Philippines.
• Proximity, economic need, and historic abandonment by other
nations
• Claim clear coordinates for the islands and have made legal
submissions under the (UNCLOS)
 BASIS OF VIETNAM'S CLAIM
• Claims ownership of the entire Spratly Islands and the Paracel Islands
• Argue historical dominion dating back to 1650 and cite the San
Francisco Allied-Japanese Peace Conference in 1951, where Japan
relinquished rights to the islands.
• . The French colonial era further strengthens their argument, as
Vietnam considers itself the inheritor of French possessions in the
region.
• Vietnam's parliament passed a maritime law in 2012 to reaffirm its
claims, particularly in response to Chinese actions in the South China
Sea.
• China’s “tongue-like nine dashed lines”
• China maintains that, under international law, foreign militaries
cannot conduct intelligence-gathering activities, such as
reconnaissance flights, in its exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
• According to the US, claimant countries, under the UNCLOS, should
have freedom of navigation through EEZs in the sea and are not
required to notify claimants of military activities.
• In July 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague ruled
on a claim brought against China by the Philippines under UNCLOS,
ruling in favor of the Philippines on almost every count. While China
is a signatory to the treaty establishing the tribunal, it refuses to accept
the court’s authority.
• In recent years, satellite imagery has shown China’s
increased efforts to reclaim land in the South China
Sea by physically increasing the size of islands or
creating new islands altogether.
• China has constructed ports, military installations,
and airstrips—particularly in the Paracel and Spratly
Islands.
• China has militarized Woody Island by deploying
fighter jets, cruise missiles, and a radar system.
ROLE OF EXTERNAL
POWERS
INVOLVEMENT OF US
For the United States, the South China Sea is an important
area of the Asia-Pacific region for three reasons:
1. It is part of a major transit route for maritime commercial
traffic to and from East Asia and for the United States
Navy.
2. disputes over the ownership of its many small islands,
reefs, atolls, and rocks among China and several nearby
Southeast Asian states (including one United States ally,
the Philippines) are generating tensions that could result
in conflict and instability;
3. Beijing could eventually use its growing influence in the
area to create a sphere of influence detrimental to United
States interests
INVOLVEMENT OF US
• The United States, which maintains important interests in
ensuring freedom of navigation and securing sea lines of
communication (SLOCs)
• Expressed support for an agreement on a binding code of
conduct and other confidence-building measures.
• China’s claims threaten SLOCs, which are important
maritime passages that facilitate trade and the movement
of naval forces. To protect its political, security, and
economic interests in the region, the United States has
challenged China’s assertive territorial claims and land
reclamation efforts by conducting freedom of navigation
operations and bolstering support for Southeast Asian
partners.
INVOLVEMENT OF JAPAN
• Japan's alliance with the United States is central to
its security strategy.
• Japan strongly supports international law, advocating
for the peaceful resolution of disputes based on
UNCLOS and opposing unilateral actions that
escalate tensions.
• Japan has interests in the region's trade routes and
invests in infrastructure development and economic
cooperation
• Japan has sold military ships and equipment to the
Philippines and Vietnam to improve their maritime
security capacity and to deter Chinese aggression.
 RECENT
DEVELOPMENTS
• China prefers bilateral negotiations with the other parties. But many of its
neighbors argue that China's relative size and clout give it an unfair
advantage.
• Some countries have argued that China should negotiate with Asean (the
Association of South East Asian Nations)
• China is opposed to this, while Asean is also divided over how to resolve the
dispute.
• The Philippines has sought international arbitration instead. In 2013, it
announced it would take China to an arbitration tribunal under the auspices of
the UN Convention on the Laws of the Sea, to challenge its claims. In July
2016, the tribunal backed the Philippines' case, saying China had violated the
Philippines' sovereign rights.
• China had boycotted the proceedings and called the ruling "ill-founded". It
says it will not be bound by it.
THANK YOU!
Presented By : ZUNAIRA AMJAD