China, Philippines face-off in South China Sea

The Chinese Coast Guard has blocked a boat carrying supplies to the Philippines soldiers stationed at the Second Thomas Shoal, near the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. The Philippines said that its boat was water-cannoned by the Chinese.

The Philippines had warned the Chinese to maintain restraint and respect the international law, and claimed that the Second Thomas Shoal was within its economic zone. The Chinese countered it by saying that the Philippines boat had infringed upon the sovereign rights of Chinese territorial waters. The International Court of Arbitration at The Hague had ruled that the Chinese cannot make extensive claim in the South China Sea, which Beijing had refused to accept.

Meanwhile, the United States had issued a statement saying that China should not disturb the regional peace and any military action by China would force the US to invoke its military treaty with the Philippines. A similar incident had occurred earlier in the year as well. The Philippines is not the only country which is at loggerheads with China over Beijing’s claims in the South China Sea. Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan too are questioning the Chinese claims in the region.

China has been very prickly about its position in the South China Sea and it has adopted an assertive, and even an aggressive, approach to the whole issue. It is part of the reason that the US has been trying to form a bloc to protect the free sea-lanes for international trade in the South China Sea. Both China and the US have been raising the tension by their respective positions, and it is this that makes the region sensitive and conflict-prone.

It is not clear whether China’s maximalist position over the South China Sea is to get the most benefit at the time of negotiations. It would appear that China is not willing to talk over issues which it believes are connected with its sovereignty. It is the same position that it holds in relation to Taiwan. It claims Taiwan to be part of China and it would not consider any question about the independence of Taiwan. Similarly, it does not want to yield any ground on the issue of its rights in the South China Sea.

But the South China Sea is a key sea corridor for the passage of global trade from east Asian countries like Japan, South Korea and also the marine interests of countries like the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei. It is inevitable that there should be talks over the issue where China has to concede the existence of international waters where the trade supplies can pass through without any obstruction from it. Beijing may want to argue that it will guarantee the free passage of trade through the South China Sea but that leaves China in control of the region.

It is an explosive situation and it has to be sorted out in a meaningful manner. Western powers like the US cannot hope to browbeat China and impose conditions that are antagonistic towards China. And it becomes necessary for China to accept that the littoral countries of the South China Sea cannot be excluded from rights over the region.

China’s position in the matter is not due to the hardline position taken by Chinese President Xi Jinping in the last few years. China remembers the humiliating treaties imposed on it at the beginning of the 20th century and it does not want a similar situation this time round, especially with it standing as the second largest economy. So, the US will have to pay due attention to the Chinese sensitivities. The US plan to confront China with an anti-Beijing bloc will only make things more difficult.