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China’s actions in the South China Sea are no longer just a regional issue.

By SAKAMOTO Shigeki July 04, 2021 The Diplomat   

The South China Sea Arbitration case decided on July 12, 2016 was an arbitration case brought against China for its effective control of maritime features in the South China Sea that are part of a territorial dispute. The case was decided in favor of the plaintiff, the Philippines, with the arbitral tribunal rejecting China’s claim of the “Nine-Dash Line,” in which China claimed historical rights over most of the South China Sea.

On the day the ruling was released, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs declared that “Its [the arbitration’s] existence is illegal, and whatever ruling it makes is null and void, with no binding force.” In reality, China has succeeded in turning seven artificial islands built from reefs and other features into military bases. After a U.S.-China summit in September 2015, Chinese President Xi Jinping stated that “China does not intend to pursue militarization in the South China Sea,” but in fact China has done just that. In February 2016, the Chinese Foreign Ministry explained that “China’s deployment of limited defense facilities on its own territory (the Spratly Islands) is its exercise of self-defense right to which a sovereign state is entitled under international law. It has nothing to do with militarization.” What is clear from these facts is that China is neglecting its obligation to respect the binding arbitration award. China continues its activities that go against international law.

By Vu Anh   June 24, 2021 | 06:30 pm GMT+7 vnexpress Satellite images by Maxar Technologies show illegally deployed Chinese military vessels and aircraft at Vietnam’s Spratly Islands, June 9, 2021. Photo courtesy of Maxar Technologies.Vietnam said Thursday that China’s deployment of ships and aircraft at Vietnam’s Spratly Islands are illegal activities holding no value.

June 21, 2021Professor Jay L. Batongbacal*  0 Comments

By Professor Jay L. Batongbacal* Eurasia review

Seas have acquired unparalleled importance in modern times owing to their trade routes and rich resource base. The territorial claims of sovereignty over the various unclaimed and disputed regions are thus on the rise fueling further conflict, friction and chances of the potential outbreak of violence. The South China Sea and its island chains are experiencing rising escalation and tension first-hand. The situation as it is in the South China Sea is very alarming owing to the power imbalance in the region. This shifted axis of power is concerning for the smaller states in South East Asia and a major threat to their territorial sovereignty.

China’s claim to the island chains is not new and has been there for a few decades now. The history of the claim can be traced to a map published at the request of the Kuomintang Govt. based on the maps drawn by some private firms and cartographic books, the Map of the South Sea Islands, issued in 1947. The 9-Dash Line used by China to claim their historical right was drawn as a part of this map to illustrate the territorial extent of China.