South China Sea Dispute

On 25th March, 2021, Philippine’s military ordered the deployment of more navy ships to the South China Sea amid a growing diplomatic row over a fleet of Chinese boats parked near a disputed Whitsun Reef.

About the Dispute

  • It is a dispute over territory and sovereignty over ocean areas, and the two island chains -Paracels and the Spratlys .
  • Territorial disputes in the South China Sea involve both island and maritime claims among several sovereign states within the region, namely Brunei, the People's Republic of China, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam.
  • The source of the South China Seas dispute is traceable to the 1951 San Francisco Treaty, which failed to stipulate possession of the Spratly islands when Japan lost its title to them after defeat in the Second World War. (Japan then renounced all right, title and claim to the Spratly Islands and to the Paracel Islands).

Country’s Claim

  • China: China claims by far the largest portion of territory – an area defined by the “nine-dash line” which stretches hundreds of miles south and east from its most southerly province of Hainan. China has ignored a 2016 international tribunal decision that declared its assertion as without basis.
  • Vietnam: The country raises its claims based on inheritance grounds. It was only in the 1970s that Vietnam raised its claim after its relations with China deteriorated.
  • Vietnam says it has actively ruled over both the Paracels and the Spratlys since the 17th Century – and has the documents to prove it.
  • Philippines: Both the Philippines and China lay claim to the Scarborough Shoal (known as Huangyan Island in China) – a little more than 100 miles (160km) from the Philippines and 500 miles from China.
  • Malaysia and Brunei: They lay claim to territory in the South China Sea that they say falls within their economic exclusion zones, as defined by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Brunei does not claim any of the disputed islands, but Malaysia claims a small number of islands in the Spratlys.

Importance of South China Sea

  • Strategic Importance: This Sea holds tremendous strategic importance for its location as it is the connecting link between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. (Strait of Malacca)
  • Important Trade Route: According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), one-third of the global shipping passes through it, carrying trade worth trillions.
  • Economic Importance: South China Sea is believed to have huge oil and gas reserves beneath its seabed.

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