strategic importance of south china sea

the South China Sea that would be " - S " ["permitting a leaf to obscure one's view of the mountain"]. US and China is engaging in this sea to control all significance. Post-Mao China, with the emergence of Deng Xiaoping as paramount leader, became a major constructive presence dedicated to economic development fueled by opening the Middle Kingdom to the region and the world. From a strategic perspective, the geographical significance of the SCS is that whoever has dominance over it, dominates the future of East Asia. In addition to fishing grounds, the South China Sea contains an abundance of energy resources, . As one of the busiest trade routes in the world and home to a wealth of marine and mineral resources, the South China Sea holds great economic and geostrategic importance. The U.S. militarys enhanced ability to loiter in and over the South China Sea, moreover, will facilitate more effective efforts to track Chinese submarines sailing from the PLANs underground naval base on Hainan island. The South China Sea is one of the most important trade pathways in the world. 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. Generally, oil and minerals move north, and food and manufactured goods move south. A critical and early Chinese test of U.S. resolve is likely to come in the South China Sea, where Washington has struggled to respond effectively to assertive Chinese behavior. What countries are claiming sovereignty, and to what extent is this disrupting regional stability? That should, of course, remain the goal, but Washington must recognize that Thailand is in the midst of a decade-long political crisis, which is unlikely to be resolved until after King Bhumibols passing and the royal succession is completed. The strategic value of the alliance remains high, according to theCongressional Research Service: *** U.S. U.S. Navy/Handout[/caption]. Unfortunately, some countries fail to comply with the existing international law. Hanoi and Canberra have launched a number of security dialogues and are expanding personnel exchanges, ship visits and officer training. Seventh Fleet transits regularly between the Pacific and Indian Oceans (including the Bay of Bengal). The United States has been largely successful at preserving its own freedom of action and deterring outright Chinese aggression in the South China Sea through routine presence operations. Should they be neutral, China may lord over the southern reaches of the South China Sea from military bases on its newly created and expanded islands in the Spratlys. 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. 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. If Chinese coercion goes unchallenged by the United States, it will send a dangerous signal about the strength of the U.S. alliance system and lessen the appeal of the United States as a security partner. Stay Connected! 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In my mind, this leads to 3 key questions to base any form of analysis from: 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. The sea-lanes that pass through the South China Sea are the busiest, most important, maritime waterways in the world. China perceives Vietnam as an obstacle for acquiring its control over this strategic sea. Chinas claims over the legal status and maritime rights of the 9 dash line remain ambiguous and outside of UN recognised EEZ claims. 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. Washingtons relationship with Hanoi will make that more palatable. The most likely single scenario for a major military engagement against a great power adversary would be one against China centered on the South China Sea. Conservation values protection of marine habitat against wanton, unnecessary despoliation are also essential. Any temptation to alter U.S. policies in the South China Sea to preserve cooperation with China in other areas is unnecessary and potentially counterproductive. As the new administration sets out to revamp U.S. strategy in the South China Sea, it should keep the following guidelines in mind: Although Chinese cooperation is necessary to address some regional and global issuessuch as North Koreas belligerent behavior and climate changethe United States should not be held hostage by concerns that a more robust deterrence strategy will thwart bilateral cooperation. That line was given little credence or attention in the U.S. or in Asia over the first five decades of the PRCs history. If full democratization is her goal, there is no foreign partner more important than Washington for achieving it. In particular Chinas maritime law enforcement in the disputed islands and waters has disrupted regional stability; causing tensions between Vietnam after a clash between Chinese patrol boats and Vietnamese oil exploration vessels. The South China Sea is not only economically important for Malaysia as a maritime nation, but it is also as important from the perspective of national security. Miguel . The Strategic Importance of the South China Sea. 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. 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. 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. 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. Total fish stocks have been depleted by 70 to 95 percent since the 1950s. Importantly, American access to four airbases (with potentially more to be made available at a later date)especially those on Luzon and Palawanwill make U.S. air power resident in Southeast Asia. All these aspects highlight the strategic indispensability of the South China Sea for global trade routes. As . 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. The refusal, likely prompted by Beijing, might seem to be just another way for China to put pressure on Taiwan, which it has long regarded as a renegade province. The United States sent a carrier battle group there as well. The security assurances provided by the U.S. military presence coupled with the advent of regional institutions, notably ASEAN and the Asian Development Bank, nurtured that growth. The "Implementing the Strategic Action Programme for the South China Sea and Gulf of Thailand" (SCS SAP Project) completed its Inception Phase with the 1st Steering Committee Meeting held online on the 29 and 30 of June, 2021 with official representatives from Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam and the UNEP Task Manager for the project, with the support of . She also observed that the sea-lanes through the South China Sea constituted a global commons not subject to sovereign claims by any nation. The reaction of the Chinese Foreign Minister was incendiary and revealing. The South China Sea is the gateway to access to the world ocean, the nexus for navigation as well as a security fence for several littoral states. The South China Sea is one of the most important economic and environmental regions in the world. 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. Certainly, the ongoing reform process and the opening of relations with the United States amount to a strategic setback for Chinas position in the region. Chinas militarization and territorial expansion in the South China Sea is illegal and dangerous, Vice President Pence said at the East Asia Summit last year. The annual Cobra Gold exercise is Asias largest multilateral military exercise. The South China Sea, or South East Asian Sea, is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean.It is bounded in the north by the shores of South China (hence the name), in the west by the Indochinese Peninsula, in the east by the islands of Taiwan and northwestern Philippines (mainly Luzon, Mindoro and Palawan), and in the south by Borneo, eastern Sumatra and the Bangka Belitung Islands . economic importance associated with the ocean is tremendous and manifold. Expanding U.S. access to Vietnamese facilities as described above could eventually render access to Thai facilities somewhat redundant, further weakening the institutional support for the alliance in the United States. The lifting of the arms embargo also opens the door to other forms of U.S.-Vietnam security cooperation. As maritime security such as safety and freedom of . Hanoi will move cautiously and such access may be limited to the purposes of logistical support for the time being. Sun Tzu Explains China's Shaping Operations in the South China Sea. . Its strategic economic importance and its geographic location at the confluence of several spheres of influence have rendered it one of the "world's hotspots". Strategic Landscape of the South China Sea: While geopolitics indicates geographical relations with politics, there is another importance which is strategic. The power politics, military interests created the South China Sea more important. This order embodies certain foundational political principles respect for international law, preservation of the real sovereign independence of regional states, a refusal to legitimate unilateral territorial expansion, and the unconditional acceptance of the sea-lanes as a global commons. The Obama administrations decision to lift the decades-old arms embargo on Vietnam is instrumental here. TheSouth China Seais one of the most important economic and environmental regions in the world. These islands are large enough for military runways and well as SAM installations. The South China Sea is considered a "near sea" and its geographic proximity to the mainland is central to the China's strategic imagination and threat perception. In practice, Thailand may be neutral in the regions great power fissures into the next decade. In each of these arenas, a successful Chinese effort to seize control of the South China Sea will have a profound impact and each is worth elaboration. The two major power of the world i.e. The message will be clear; the era of American international leadership and predominance is over and a new preeminent power has taken its place. 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. 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. Select Accept to consent or Reject to decline non-essential cookies for this use. U.S. goals to uphold regional alliances and partnerships, defend international rules and norms, and maintain a productive relationship with China remain valid. Despite all that, Beijing now faces a competition with Washington (and Delhi and Tokyo) for influence in Naypyidaw. The Balloon Incident and Evolution of Espionage. More than half of the world's fishing vessels are in the South China Sea, and millions of people depend on these waters for their food and livelihoods. 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Unfortunately, the allies now lack a shared strategic outlook, thus reducing the impetus to overcome recent bilateral political hurdles. The Tribunal rejects Chinas maritime claims that go beyond the entitlements set out in the Law of the Sea Convention. Nevertheless, for America, this new world will be profoundly discomfiting and even alien. February 27, 2023. Successful capacity building efforts will allow Southeast Asian states to better help themselves, bolstering deterrence against low-level Chinese coercion and allowing the U.S. military to focus more on deterring high-level contingencies. Utapao has been suggested as a permanent Southeast Asian Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) hub. South China Sea is a strategic sea lane is significance for connectivity, navigation, trade and resources is a global hotspot as a potential flashpoint. This has continued in to the present day. Many of these countries suffer from corruption and lack for effective rule of law. This concept of regional order links tightly to a broader set of interests, values, and institutions embodied in the post-World War II international system a system that reflects U.S. values, U.S. leadership and is consonant with U.S. interests. First, the United States should feel more confident to pressure the junta on human rights concerns. The risk to Chinese power projection lies predominantly with US interests. Because of its location, this sea is extremely strategic because it connects the Indian and Pacific Oceans (Strait of Malacca). More importantly, it also covers the most crucial energy routes for East Asian countries to transport oil and natural gas from the Persian Gulf. What is more important from a strategic viewpoint, however, is that global energy projections that the EIA issues in the International Energy Outlook, issued in October 2021, make it clear that China and Asia will have a sharply growing dependence on MENA and Gulf petroleum exports that may well extend through 2050. Douglas R. Bush, Deterring a Cross-Strait Conflict: Beijing's Assessment of Evolving U.S. Strategy, Rethinking Humanitarian Aid: A Conversation with Michelle Nunn, President and CEO of CARE USA, The South China Sea Some Fundamental Strategic Principles, Brzezinski Chair in Global Security and Geostrategy, Diversity and Leadership in International Affairs Project, Energy Security and Climate Change Program. by M A Hossain 3 March 2023 The geostrategic significance of Bangladesh derives from its strategic location at the crossroads of South and Southeast Asia, endowing it with a pivotal role in the re In December, another joint China-Russia naval exercise was held in the East China Sea (China Military Online, December 21, 2022). The SCS is passage of half of the world trade.

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