The South China Sea is one of the major regions of territorial dispute around the world. Several countries have overlapping claims of sovereignty over a patchwork of islands, rocks, and reefs, consisting of hundreds if not thousands of small land features. One of the main protagonists in the long-running and complex territorial dispute is China. Not content with simply claiming other nation’s sovereign territory, China appears intent on building its own islands in the South China Sea. The process of Chinese island-building in the South China Sea has been described by some analysts as a form of ‘ecocide’, intended to alter the physical and legal landscape of the area. So what is behind China’s island-building program, and why are they doing it?
The People’s Republic of China claims historical rights to much of the South China Sea, as represented by their infamous ‘nine-dash line’. This expansive maritime boundary extends hundreds of kilometers south and east from China’s Hainan province, covering almost the entirety of the South China Sea. Despite this claim, the international community has stood firmly against China’s stance. To back up its legal position, China has been constructing an ever-increasing number of artificial islands in the South China Sea. It is estimated that in total there are at least 1,862 acres of land reclaimed and 86 military installations on these artificially created islands. What this means for the region is anyone’s guess.
Experts suggest that by constructing these artificial islands, China is hoping to provide ‘facts on the ground’ as evidence of its ownership of the territory and as a tool to reinforce its claims. China is also using the newly created artificial islands to extend the reach of its navy and coast guard, enabling it to extend its regional defense perimeter and projection of power. In addition to these obvious military benefits, the new islands are also being used for research, tourism, and economic activities such as fishing and energy exploration.
In response to China’s island-building program, a number of other South China Sea claimants have been constructing their own outposts and facilities on various bits of territory. Vietnam, the Philippines, and Malaysia are all seeking to establish or maintain their presence in the region, although none of them has the resources of China. It should be noted that all of these activities occur in the absence of a legal framework, and tensions remain extremely high between all of the parties involved.
The process of Chinese island-building has been met with wide-spread condemnation from the international community, who fear that China’s actions could lead to a military conflict in the region. So why is China seemingly pushing ahead with its island-building program in the face of such strong opposition? According to Dr. Andrew Scobell, a noted expert on China’s foreign policy, the country’s leadership “seems to believe that increasing indigenous capabilities to control the South China Sea is in China’s national interest and is needed to protect its maritime resources”.
Another factor behind China’s plans could be its desire to assert its dominance and control over the other South China Sea claimants. China has been accused in the past of economic bullying and its island-building program could be a further way of putting political and economic pressure on its smaller neighbors in the region. It seems that China is hoping that its growing military presence in the South China Sea may be enough to make other claimants think twice about challenging its territorial claims.
Environmental Impacts of Island-Building
In addition to the obvious military and political implications of China’s island-building program, the environmental damage that has been caused in the region is also a cause for concern. Peter Hughes, a lecturer in International Law at the University of Edinburgh, has called China’s wreaking havoc upon the fragile marine ecology in the South China Sea a “monumental scale of ecological destruction”. The land reclamation process alone has destroyed over 170,000 square kilometers of precious coral reefs.
Moreover, the construction of new artificial islands results in the contamination of the surrounding ecosystem with sediment and debris, which can have a devastating impact on the abundance of marine life in the area. What is more, a 2016 report from the Center for American Progress (CAP) reveals how China has allegedly discharged untreated wastewater into the South China Sea, a practice that has the potential to harm other nations’ shorelines and marine resources.
However, no matter how badly China may be damaging the environment, it is unlikely that this will dissuade the country from its island-building program. China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei has defended the country’s actions, claiming that the construction of new island projects is “completely within Chinese sovereignty, reasonable and lawful”.
Regional Reactions
The regional reaction to China’s island-building program has been mixed. While some countries in the region, particularly Brunei and Cambodia, have welcomed China’s plans, other countries such as the Philippines and Vietnam have been vocally opposed to China’s actions. The fact that the Philippines have brought their complaints regarding China’s land reclamation to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) attests to the intensity of the regional dispute over the South China Sea.
In light of these regional tensions, the United Nations has attempted to intervene and mediate between the various claimants. During its two-day ASEAN summit in 2016, the UN issued a statement that a code of conduct should be established between all of the countries who claim territory in the South China Sea. “The situation in the area is a matter of serious concern to the international community”, the statement said, adding that “all relevant parties [should] interact in a manner that would lower tension and pave the way for the resolution of disputes”.
The idea of a UN-backed code of conduct in the region has been seen by some experts as a positive step towards resolving the long-running dispute. However, with China seemingly unwilling to compromise and other nations seemingly unwilling to back down, it remains to be seen what, if any progress can be made in a peaceful resolution of the South China Sea conflict.
Implications for the World
As one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes, the South China Sea is a vital economic and strategic resource. The region is home to some of the most productive fishing grounds in the world, supplying many of the fish consumed in the region. Moreover, the South China Sea is estimated to contain some eleven billion barrels of oil and 190 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, money which could otherwise be spent on education, healthcare, and infrastructure.
The consequences of China’s South China Sea island-building program have been felt far beyond the boundaries of the region itself. As a result of China’s plans, regional security has deteriorated and tensions between the regional powers have been exacerbated. In addition to this regional instability, the colossal environmental impact of China’s actions has been felt on a global scale, with the destruction of a huge network of coral reefs.
At the same time, the United States’ active presence in the region has increased, with a series of joint military exercises between the US and its regional allies. All of these examples highlight the fact that China’s island-building program has far-reaching implications for global security and stability.
International Responses
The international response to China’s actions in the South China Sea has been largely critical, with the United Nations and other influential international institutions expressing their concerns.
In an attempt to bring China to the negotiating table, the US has led a coalition of international actors in making political and economic protests against China’s activities. Countries such as the UK, Australia, and Canada have all criticized China’s island-building program and have pledged their support to the US-led coalition.
In July of 2016, a tribunal in The Hague convened to rule on the longstanding territorial dispute between China and the Philippines. The tribunal found in favor of the Philippines and strongly criticized China’s actions in the South China Sea, ruling that the country’s island-building activities had violated the Philippines’ sovereignty.
Since the release of the verdict, the Chinese government has remained defiant and has refused to adhere to the international tribunal’s ruling. In response, the US and its allies have pledged to continue their efforts to bring China to the negotiating table.
Economic Implications
The South China Sea is an invaluable economic resource, with the region containing huge oil and gas reserves, along with some of the most abundant fishing grounds in the world. The question of who controls these resources has long been a source of political and economic tension in the region.
By constructing its own islands in the South China Sea and garrisoning them with naval patrols, China has been able to gain control over these resources. This has had a damaging effect on the countries who rely on these resources for their own economic development. In the longer term, China’s actions could also reduce the economic output of other countries in the region as China will be able to claim a larger share of the resources that would have otherwise gone to them.
The continuing regional dispute over the South China Sea has also had a direct impact on the global economy, with maritime trade through the region disrupted by the political and military tensions between the claimants. The total cost incurred by this disruption of trade is estimated to be in the billions of dollars, with experts predicting that these costs will increase over time if the situation is not resolved soon.
The economic implications of China’s island-building program in the South China Sea may not yet be fully apparent. However, it is clear that the actions of the Chinese government have had and will continue to have far-reaching economic repercussions for the entire region.
