The South China Sea is a marginal sea in the Western Pacific Ocean, bordered by countries such as China, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Malaysia. It is a region of great economic and geostrategic importance. Over one-third of the world's maritime shipping, carrying over US$3 trillion in trade annually, passes through this area. It is also believed to have significant oil and natural gas reserves, as well as abundant fisheries that provide food security for millions of people in Southeast Asia.

1. South China Sea: The Geopolitical Dynamics
and its Strategic Significance
Global Concerns
South China Sea Map

2. Adil Javed
The South China Sea is a marginal sea in the Western Pacific Ocean,
bordered by countries such as China, Vietnam, the Philippines, and
Malaysia.
It is a region of great economic and geostrategic importance.
Over one-third of the world's maritime shipping, carrying over US$3
trillion in trade annually, passes through this area.
It is also believed to have significant oil and natural gas reserves, as well
as abundant fisheries that provide food security for millions of people in
Southeast Asia.
Challenges Faced by China Sea:
​ a. Environmental:
The South China Sea is facing serious environmental challenges.

3. Overfishing has depleted fish stocks by 70 to 95 percent since the 1950s,
and coral reefs, essential for marine habitats, are declining at a rate of 16
percent per decade.
These issues have led to concerns about the sustainability of the region's
resources.
​ b. Hotbed for Territorial Disputes:
The South China Sea is also a hotbed of territorial disputes. Several
countries, including China, Taiwan, Vietnam, the Philippines, and
Malaysia, have competing claims over the islands, reefs, and shoals in
the area.
China, in particular, asserts a maritime claim that is not consistent with
international law, as determined by an arbitration tribunal in 2016.

4. Image Credit: Google
Reasons why China seeks to Control?
There are three main reasons why Beijing seeks to control the South
China Sea.
​ Firstly: It is strategically important for the patrol of China's
nuclear ballistic missile submarines, which need access to the
western Pacific Ocean for their deterrence capabilities against the
United States.
​ Secondly: It serves as a buffer zone for China in the event of a
military attack by the US.

5. ​ Thirdly: The South China Sea is crucial for China's maritime
transportation, as it accounts for a significant portion of global
maritime trade and provides access to oil and gas reserves.
Tensions over South China Sea:
The tensions and conflicts over sovereignty in the South China Sea have
escalated in recent years, with China taking an increasingly assertive
stance and building military and civilian facilities in the disputed areas.
This has generated anxiety and suspicion among neighboring countries
and other global powers like US, UK, India, Japan and South Korea, .
The situation poses a challenge to regional stability and the existing
status quo.

6. Image Credit: Google
Strategic importance of South China Sea:
Understanding the strategic importance of the South China Sea is
essential to grasp the significance of the ongoing contention.
​ a. Geographical Location: Its geographical location makes it a
vital shipping route and energy pathway, affecting the economic
security of countries in the region and beyond.

7. ​ b. The area's Resources: Including oil, gas, and fisheries, further
contribute to its importance.
​ c. The disputes over sovereignty: The dispute over sovereignty
and the disregard for international law by some parties create
tensions that have far-reaching implications for regional stability.
​ d. The disputed islands: The disputed islands in the South China
Sea are not only important due to the legal rights to exploit their
resources but also from a strategic perspective.
​ e. The weightage of dominant Power: The dominant power in the
region will holds the key to the future of East Asia.
Image Credit: Google

8. The stance of US and Allies:
The United States recognized this strategic significance and declared its
freedom of navigation in the South China Sea as a national interest in
2010, in response to China's assertive posture.
Vietnam and the Philippines sought to strengthen their partnership and
alliance with the US in 2012 to enhance their strategic position in the
South China Sea disputes.
They have also attempted to form a strategic alliance with Japan in their
struggle against China.
The US plays a crucial role in influencing the resolution of these
disputes due to its connections, trade, and allies in the region.
Chinese Actions in the Region:
China has demonstrated a significant increase in its projection of power
in the South China Sea.
​ It has consistently increased its military budget, with over 8.5%
growth in recent years. China has undergone military

9. modernization, establishing new theatre commands and a Joint
Operations Command.
​ The production of its first aircraft carrier, Liaoning, signifies its
shift from a soft power to a hard power stance at sea.
​ China has been enforcing annual fishing bans, conducting
maritime patrols, scientific surveys, and military exercises in the
disputed islands and waters since 2009.
​ It has also engaged in aggressive maritime behavior towards
NATO warships exercising freedom of navigation in the South
China Sea.
​ China's construction of artificial islands, including military
facilities, in the Spratlys and Paracels has escalated tensions and
demonstrated its power projection capabilities.
China's claims over the South China Sea based on the 9-dash line
doctrine are ambiguous and not recognized by the United Nations
Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Its maritime law enforcement activities have disrupted regional stability
and led to clashes and tensions with neighboring countries such as
Vietnam, the Philippines, and Taiwan.

10. Chinese Military build-up on Artificial Island
Image Credit: Google
The Chinese Projection of Maritime Interests:
The projection of maritime power by China is likely to continue as it
aligns with its economic, energy, and national security interests in the
region.
China aims to exert complete control over the South China Sea to build a
significant strategic sphere of influence.

11. Other countries in the region do not possess the same level of power and
resources to counter China's increasing projection of power.
The United States has a vested interest in the region due to its national
interests and may support other countries if it aligns with its own
interests.
The historical setting provides context for understanding the current
developments in the South China Sea.
The United States has been a major power in East Asia since World War
II, with military alliances and a military presence in the region.
China's actions in the past, such as the occupation of the Paracels and the
Tiananmen Square crackdown, indicated its intentions and challenged
Western expectations of political democratization.
The official maps and the "nine-dash line" showed China's claim over
the South China Sea, which gained attention and strategic significance
over time.
Overall, the increased projection of power by China in the South China
Sea has upset regional stability and is expected to continue.

12. The Interest of United States in the Region and Actions:
The United States recognizes the strategic importance of the region and
has a vested interest in ensuring its own economic and security interests
are protected.
Geopolitical developments in Asia and the South China Sea should be
closely monitored as power dynamics shift in the region.
The claim made by Secretary of State Clinton regarding the South China
Sea's status and the need for a peaceful diplomatic solution was met with
an incendiary response from the Chinese Foreign Minister, who asserted
China's sovereignty over the region.
The South China Sea holds significant importance for the United States
due to its economic interests, defense ties with allies, and implications
for the global balance of power.
Economically, the sea-lanes in the South China Sea are crucial as they
carry one-third of global shipping, valued at $3.4 trillion.
These sea-lanes are vital for China's trade, accounting for nearly 40% of
its total trade and 90% of petroleum imports for China, Japan, and South
Korea.

13. Additionally, the sea-lanes serve as a military artery for the U.S. Seventh
Fleet, which regularly transits between the Pacific and Indian Oceans.
In terms of defense ties, the United States has formal security alliances
with countries like Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Thailand, and
Australia.
The U.S. also maintains security cooperation agreements with Vietnam,
Indonesia, and Malaysia, and conducts multilateral military exercises in
the region.
The regular transit of the Seventh Fleet through the South China Sea
supports these defense ties and reinforces the U.S. security presence in
the area.
The preservation of a regional "rules-based" order, supported by U.S.
power, is another crucial aspect related to the South China Sea.
This order is based on principles such as respect for international law,
protection of sovereign independence, rejection of unilateral territorial
expansion, and the recognition of the sea-lanes as a global commons.

14. The United States sees this regional order as aligned with its interests
and values, and any Chinese control over the South China Sea could
challenge this order and shift the global balance of power.
European Union (EU):
For the European Union (EU), open access to the South China Sea is
advocated to ensure consistency with international maritime rules and
protect trade routes with Asia.
The EU is the third-largest trading partner for ASEAN countries outside
of Europe, and a significant portion of maritime trade volume passes
through the South China Sea.
The EU aims to maintain a rules-based regional architecture and
expresses concern about geopolitical competition and tensions in the
Indo-Pacific region.
It is worth noting that while the EU supports the principles of a
rules-based international order, it primarily seeks to maintain
international law, open freedom of navigation, and avoid taking a
pro-U.S. position.

15. The EU's focus is on upholding international law rather than aligning
with the United States in its strategic competition with China.
The Contest for Supremacy:
Overall, the South China Sea is a significant geopolitical arena where
various interests and paradigms are contesting for supremacy.
The outcome of this contest will have profound implications for trade,
regional stability, defense alliances, and the global balance of power,
shaping the world in the 21st century. Both blocs look to China for trade
as well.
The writer has done MS in International Relations and serving as a
Lecturer at Higher Education KP, Pakistan
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