I don’t know about you, but my X-feed has been absolutely blown up the last few days with Chinese provocations in The East Sea, The West Philippine Sea, The North Natuna Sea… or, how about The Indochina Sea? I know that a relatively small segment of the world refers to the area as “The South China Sea” but for this primer on the disputes there…I will not be one of them. What’s in a name anyway as calls for changing it are intensifying?
Let’s start this primer with the most dramatic of the recent provocations and the China-Philippines dispute in The West Philippine Sea. The Video:
And from the BBC:
“A new flashpoint has emerged in the ongoing maritime dispute between China and the Philippines, with both countries clashing over yet another spot in the South China Sea [West Philippine Sea].
Both China and the Philippines have staked their claims on various islands and zones in the Sea – their dispute increasingly escalating over the years with more vessel collisions, scuffles, and allegations of armed threats.
But last week, things came to a head when Beijing and Manila’s vessels collided near the Sabina Shoal- both accusing the other of ramming them on purpose.
The shoal, claimed by China as Xianbin Jiao and as Escoda Shoal by the Philippines, is located some 75 nautical miles from the Philippines’ west coast and 630 nautical miles from China.”
The article continues:
“There has been a string of dangerous encounters in recent months as the two sides sought to enforce their claims on disputed reefs and outcrops, including the Second Thomas Shoal and the Scarborough Shoal…
China has increasingly blasted powerful water cannon and lasers at Philippine ships, with the Filipinos also accusing the Chinese of boarding their boats, leading to scuffles, as well as confiscating items and puncturing their inflatable vessels.
One of the latest accusations from Manila was that Chinese coast guard personnel armed with knives, spears and swords boarded one of their military ships and threatened their soldiers.”
This all stems from the disputed claims due to China’s self-proclaimed 9-dash line. What is the 9-dash line? For that let’s go to the Australian Naval Institute:
“The present-day claim by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to the South China Sea [West Philippine Sea] is based on an eleven-dash line map produced by a government department in the Republic of China around 1947-48. The PRC dropped two of the dash lines in the early 1950s drawn in the Gulf of Tonkin (Beibu Gulf).
The PRC formally presented the nine-dash line map to the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf in May 2009…
In addition to the cartographic history, the PRC’s claim to the South China Sea is based on a highly questionable modern narrative that ancient Chinese dynasties were the first to discover, name, occupy and administer all the land features in the South China Sea [West Philippine Sea].”
Here is a really good West Philippine Sea Explainer and if you are not following them on X…you probably should:
Our Sea, Our Right, Our Future: Standing Strong for the West Philippine Sea | The West Philippine Sea is more than just a territory—it’s a symbol of our sovereignty, pride, and national identity. As challenges continue to rise, it’s crucial for every Filipino to understand its… pic.twitter.com/wsvPeiGinG
— BRP Sierra Madre (@BRPSierraMadre) September 4, 2024
China is employing a strategy that they refer to as Boiling the frog. This technique is being applied to all of the claimants in the area but this is a really good video.
And, perhaps my favorite map that best illustrates all of the competing interests in the West Philippine Sea. This also comes from X:
Brilliant video by @BRPSierraMadre explaining #China ‘boiling the frog’ strategy!
For decades China has been defying international law and making small incremental changes in the South China Sea which solidifies its illegal claims in the long run. 1/x @jaytaryela pic.twitter.com/EvYf2tetag
— Dr. Minh Tran (@MinhDr18) September 5, 2024
All other claimants in the region base their claims on The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) which defines each countries Exclusive Economic Zone or EEZ:
“The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea was adopted in 1982. It lays down a comprehensive regime of law and order in the world’s oceans and seas establishing rules governing all uses of the oceans and their resources. It embodies in one instrument traditional rules for the uses of the oceans and at the same time introduces new legal concepts and regimes and addresses new concerns. The Convention also provides the framework for further development of specific areas of the law of the sea.”
What about recent news with other claimants?
Malaysia –
This portion… https://t.co/6t8NcbEqTz pic.twitter.com/xhsrW14NnC
— Cognitive Warrior Project (@CognitiveWarri2) September 4, 2024
And more from the AP:
“Malaysia’s Foreign Ministry called Wednesday for a police investigation into a leaked diplomatic note from China over the South China Sea dispute.
The ministry said details of a Feb. 18 diplomatic note from China’s Foreign Ministry to the Malaysian Embassy in Beijing was published by a Filipino media outlet on Aug. 29. It didn’t give details but alluded to the South China Sea row in its statement.
The Philippine Daily Inquirer had published a diplomatic note in which Beijing reportedly demanded that Malaysia immediately halt all activities in an oil-rich maritime area off Sarawak state on Borneo island.”
Vietnam:
Philippines and Vietnam plan to seal defense MOU this year
With a little bit of island building of their own.
And a video explainer of the new Vietnam-Philippine cooperation:
Indonesia :
While not exactly recent, Indonesia is building bases in the North Natuna Sea also.
Brunei:
Brunei has, for the most part, remained silent in this dispute.
Japan:
While not in the Indochina Sea, let’s not forget Japan (I really didn’t need to include this one but I love the map and the perspective of this X post. In addition, they continue to deal with an overly aggressive China also.
From the #DefenseOfJapan2024
Cool map with an alternative viewpoint.
How 🇯🇵 sees threats emanating from 🇨🇳&🇷🇺@RhodesMaps @ycapsjapan @PLATracker pic.twitter.com/TD1wovFWuz— Charlie B (@supbrow) September 4, 2024
And last but certainly not least we have Taiwan and their near-daily provocations. I could say plenty, but this post has gotten out of control already, and they deserve their own post. So, I will leave you with their response to China about territorial integrity.
Taiwan president says China should take back Russian land if it wants territorial integrityhttps://t.co/aWmy81KKUL pic.twitter.com/LxfZpiMW3i
— Taiwan News (@TaiwanNewsEN) September 2, 2024