SOUTH CHINA SEA - GEOGRAPHY
News: Philippines
confronts China over disputes in South China Sea
What's in the news?
● A
Chinese coast guard ship blocked a
Philippine patrol vessel steaming into a disputed shoal in the South China
Sea, causing a frightening near-collision in the latest act of Beijing’s
aggression in the strategic waterway.
Key takeaways:
● The
high seas face-off on Sunday between the larger Chinese ship and the Philippine
coast guard’s BRP Malapascua near the Second Thomas Shoal was among the tense
moments it and another Philippine vessel encountered in a weeklong sovereignty
patrol in one of the world’s most hotly contested waterways.
South China Sea:
● The
South China Sea lies just south of the Chinese mainland and is bordered by the countries of Brunei, China,
Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.
Disputes over South China Sea:
● As
early as the 1970s, these countries began to claim islands (mostly uninhabited)
throughout the sea to lay control over the various resources that the region
possessed, such as untapped oil
reserves, natural gas, and fishing areas. It also has some of the most active
shipping lanes on the planet.
● Today,
China’s sweeping claims over the sea have antagonized other countries in the
region. China claims the sea as its
Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), arguing that other countries do not have the
right to conduct any military or economic operation without its consent.
● This claim is disputed by
the southeast Asian countries and in 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration
at The Hague issued its ruling on a claim brought against China by the
Philippines under UNCLOS.
● It
ruled in favour of the Philippines on almost every count. However, China, which
itself is a signatory to UNCLOS, refused to acknowledge the court’s authority.
● To
protect the balance of power in the region, countries like the United States
and Japan have come to the aid of the south-east Asian countries, providing
them with military and economic aid.