Importantly, the countries of maritime Southeast Asia are not aligning only with the United States, but with a grouping of external states concerned with the nature of Chinas rise. In April, Australian Defence Force personnel joined the U.S.-Philippines Balikatan maneuvers, which included an amphibious landing exercise. Cooperation on areas of shared interest is important not only to the United States, but also to China. 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 sea is rich in resources and holds significant strategic and political importance. 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 United States, moreover, should work with its other Pacific alliesAustralia, South Korea and especially Japanto consider ways that they can lead efforts to expand infrastructure investment in Southeast Asia, perhaps by reforming and enlarging the Asian Development Bank or by launching a joint infrastructure investment fund. The 2022 Philippine Election: Trouble for Democracy and Foreign Relations Ahead? Generally, oil and minerals move north, and food and manufactured goods move south. Why Is the South China Sea Important? - Money Morning Australia, for its part, has vocally supported U.S. freedom of navigation exercises in the South China Sea and may have quietly conducted its own in recent months. Pressing Challenges to U.S. Army Acquisition: A Conversation with Hon. Access to all three is now in doubt. All Rights Reserved. China has tried to effectively annex the whole South China Sea region as its territorial waters, according to Malcolm Davis, a senior analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI). It is a rich source of hydrocarbons and natural resources. 5 min. Washingtons relationship with Hanoi will make that more palatable. Ownership claims to them are used to bolster claims to the surrounding sea and its resources. Security, Strategy, and Military Dynamics in South China Sea: Cross In sum, the United States has built and maintained a dense network of security links and obligations throughout East and Southeast Asia all sustained by regular contact with the Seventh Fleet as it transits the region via the South China Sea. The most important and least tangible stake in the South China Sea concerns the preservation (or not) of a regional rules-based order supported by U.S. power. These islands are large enough for military runways and well as SAM installations. Ironically, the United States is drawing closer to communist Vietnam, in which human rights are serially abused, while growing apart from a major Vietnam War ally, largely due to concerns over democratic backsliding. As a result of this shift, China now seeks to control sea lines of communication, ensure national prosperity and continue economic growth and national greatness; the South China Sea plays a massive part in this. With the National League for Democracy now in power in Naypyidaw, China cannot rely on Burma as an automatic ally. Hence, the importance of the Trans-Pacific Partnership. PDF Countries South China Sea Overview - Energy Information Administration Not only Vietnam is the strongest opponent of the Chinese nine-dash line claim in the region, Vietnam's sustained economic growth has pushed it to emerge as an important player in the South East Asia, which China perceives is not in its interests. This puts more pressure on Washington to intervene and U.S. allies and partners in Asia are watching carefully and drawing conclusions about U.S. commitment and staying power in the region. The two major power of the world i.e. President Musharraf requested China to invest in this important strategic chokepoint in the Indian Ocean., to which China agreed. (PDF) Strategic Importance of Gwadar Port - ResearchGate The Balloon Incident and Evolution of Espionage. The South China Sea is basically China's export waterway to Africa and to Europe (among other markets), but in order for China's enemy (aspiring conqueror), America, to harm and weaken China maximally, and to use the United Nations assisting in that aggression, America and its allies have cast this vital trade-waterway as being instead basically just an area to be exploited for oil and gas . The sea-lanes that pass through the South China Sea are the busiest, most important, maritime waterways in the world. Close allies such as Australia and Japan have a great deal to offer in terms of capability and capacity, and should be encouraged to do more. The United States and its Pacific allies should consider whether it is feasible and sensible to coordinate the activities of USAID, the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), and Australias Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The South China Sea contains some of the world's most important shipping lanes. Chinas significant increase in spending and capability of its maritime forces is of note. The United States can stand firm on its principles and deter China from undermining the regional order while maintaining a productive relationship. Other claimant states welcome U.S. involvement precisely because Washington does not favor one claimants territorial ambitions over those of the others. With the incoming administration likely to grapple early with South China Sea issues, the CSIS Southeast Asia Program, directed by Dr. Amy Searight, worked in collaboration with other Asia colleagues at CSISDr. To facilitate capacity building, Washington should preserve regional defense relationships while recognizing that the ability of the United States to partner with frontline states depends on their cooperation and adherence to good governance and human rights. She also observed that the sea-lanes through the South China Sea constituted a global commons not subject to sovereign claims by any nation. With a maturing coast guard, navy and air force, Vietnam will become an increasingly prickly foe. As maritime security such as safety and freedom of . Persistent American military presence at the eastern, southern and western points of the compassespecially when combined with regional states advancing ISR capabilities, for which the United States is providing investmentwould enable the United States to respond rapidly to incidents in disputed island chains or to Chinese attacks on U.S. and allied naval and air assets or on commercial shipping. 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. Since 2009, China has growingly asserted its influence over the SCS by enforcing an annual fishing ban, conducting regular maritime patrols, undertaking scientific surveys and conducting military exercises in the disputed islands and waters. U.S. allies and partners in the region are drawing lessons from Chinese coercive behavior and the limited U.S. response to it, and some are beginning to doubt U.S. resolve and adjust their foreign policies in response. Select Accept to consent or Reject to decline non-essential cookies for this use. Australia will be isolated with an uncertain future. Report on U.S.-China Strategic Competition in South and East China Seas In the past two weeks, Filipino . When China moved a massive oilrig, theHaiyang Shiyou 981, into Vietnams exclusive economic zone in 2014, Vietnam had limited options to respond, at either the low end or the high. Unfortunately, the allies now lack a shared strategic outlook, thus reducing the impetus to overcome recent bilateral political hurdles. Diplomatic, informational, legal, and economic responses are currently underrepresented in U.S. China policy, and their incorporation into the policy toolkit will be important for successfully dissuading China over the long-term. China's Maritime Choke Points - Geopolitical Futures f) . This has continued in to the present day. Japan and South Korea will face a perilous new reality with China in control of the seaborne lifeline of both countries. Due to the strategic importance of the area, China will continue to establish a maritime power in the SCS as the most dominant player among states in the region. The third will assess the policies/strategies currently employed by the United States in this arena as well as other plausible options. Check out the linked article on the Belt and road initiative now. Geopolitical and Strategic Landscape of South China Sea Under President Xi Jinping, Beijing has undertaken more assertive policies that have greatly improved Beijings position in the South China Sea. Southeast Asia will inevitably be rendered subordinate and compliant to Chinas will. "First, South China Sea is important for the strategic patrol of Chinese SSBN [nuclear ballistic missile submarine], which needs to enter west Pacific Ocean for its nuclear . . If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. 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. Vietnam and the Philippines have also attempted to form a strategic alliance with Japan in their struggle with China in the SCS. China, Russia and the Munich Security Conference. US still mired in a 'Cold War' mindset, but the tide's turning, The West is misreading Chinas Party Congress at the peril of world stability, Can Foreign Investors still have Good Reasons to be Optimistic about China? If full democratization is her goal, there is no foreign partner more important than Washington for achieving it. In 2010, the US declared its freedom of navigation in the SCS to be a national interest in response to Chinas increasingly assertive posture. TheSouth China Seais one of the most important economic and environmental regions in the world. In sum, the South China Sea is the immediate arena where two alternative geopolitical paradigms are contesting for supremacy. The second will analyze the strategic landscape in and around the South China Sea. Beijing may not find it quite as easy to run roughshod over Hanoi in the coming years. Therefore, the SCS has geopolitical and geostrategic importance for the energy and economic security of China and East Asian countries; but also for the USA as $1.2 trillion of its trade moves through the waters. Narendra Modis Act East policy has resulted in an acceleration of burgeoning India-ASEAN ties and Indias position on the South China Sea territorial disputes essentially mirrors that of the United States. Geo-Strategic Significance And Importance Of South China Sea For China China has steadily built capabilities and infrastructure, most notably military facilities on artificial islands, that enable greater control of the South China Sea. Inconsistent messaging and policiesincluding on freedom of navigation and routine presence operationshave also led to confusion in the region. The United States should continue to prioritize military presence in the Asia-Pacific at the same time as it invests in key capabilities, such as long-range precision strike, undersea warfare, cyber/space systems, and other capabilities that will preserve the U.S. ability to deter Chinese aggression. In practice, Thailand may be neutral in the regions great power fissures into the next decade. 2013 The Philippines challenges Chinas claims of historic rights and other actions in an arbitration case under the Law of the Sea Convention. Should those ties continue to expand, moreover, the United States may find that it has greater flexibility in dealing with a vexing regional ally: Thailand. The South China Sea is a core interest of both Vietnam and China. To understand the statement we have to have a particular knowledge over the issue and have to look over the geopolitical and strategic importance of South China Sea. PDF The Strategic Importance of South China Sea - World Geostrategic Insights 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. By the end of the 1970s, communist insurgencies outside Indochina had been effectively suppressed. Now, the two militaries will increasingly exercise and train across a broad spectrum of military operations, from the low end to the high. 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. What is the strategic importance of the South China Sea. Today's world is the US-led where China is a rising giant economically and politically. The U.S. military used Utapao for refueling efforts during operations in Iraq and Afghanistan in the 2000s, as well as for multinational relief efforts after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and April 2015 Nepal earthquake., The U.S.-Thai alliance has also served as a platform for important training exercises. The United States should intensify capacity building efforts with allies and partners to improve their ability to resist Chinese coercion. How that competition will evolve remains to be seen, but the very fact of the contest should be understood as a reversal of fortune for China. 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. The main route to and from Pacific and Indian ocean ports is through the Strait of Malacca and the South China Sea. A U.S. Navy crewman aboard a P-8A Poseidon surveillance aircraft views a computer screen purportedly showing Chinese construction on the reclaimed land of Fiery Cross Reef in the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea in this still image from video provided by the United States Navy May 21, 2015. The same cannot be said for China and a maritime Southeast Asia that aligns with the United States. The strategic importance of the South China Sea is mainly due to its geographical location as the area is one of world's busiest and most strategic shipping lanes. China has seized the initiative in the South China Sea, however, and the United States needs to revamp its strategy to reverse current trends and escape the trap of reactive and ineffectual policymaking. Tackling these issues will be tricky for the United States, as many of the elites that benefit from corruption will be those with whom Washington must work to deepen ties, but this is a long-term effort worth pursuing. Final Thoughts & Looking Towards the Future. China remains uncompromising on sovereignty, has increased its capability to enforce its de facto control in disputed areas, and has sought to advance its claims while staying below the threshold for direct military conflict with the United States. The Strategic Importance of the South China Sea - academia.edu 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. A new arrangement for U.S. naval access to Cam Ranh Bay may well be in the offing. Russia-Ukraine War Compels Japan to Reassess China Challenge, Shift economic importance associated with the ocean is tremendous and manifold. Less sexy but no less important is a forthcoming arrangement by which Vietnam will allow the United States military to preposition supplies and equipment in Da Nang on the central coast. 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. It is highly likely that China will continue to upset regional stability in the SCS to expand its own sphere of influence. South China Sea is a strategic sea lane is significance for connectivity, navigation, trade and resources is a global hotspot as a potential flashpoint. The reaction of the Chinese Foreign Minister was incendiary and revealing. Nevertheless, Beijing had taken its first overt step to control the South China Sea. If this sounds overstated or overwrought it is not. Report Indeed, when push came to shove, China would force its bilateral partners to choose between economic prosperity on the one hand and security and even sovereignty on the other. Chinese fighter jet flies within 500 feet of U.S. patrol over South It was the first time that had ever occurred. Stay Connected! If China can exert complete control over the region, using predominantly the maritime domain, it can build a significant strategic sphere of influence and power. In particular, Thailand has a much more benign outlook on Chinas rise and on its activities in the South China Sea, and although suggestions that Bangkok would dump Washington for Beijing are certainly overstated, Thai elites are hesitant to be drawn into what they see as a U.S. effort to contain the kingdoms largest trade partner. The primary challenge to American regional predominance came from Maoist China first through the Korean War and then via communist insurgencies throughout Southeast Asia culminating in the Vietnam War (1963-75). The longstanding U.S. position that it takes no position on sovereignty disputes over land features in the South China Sea, while insisting that these disputes be resolved in a peaceful fashion and in accordance with international law, is sound and should be maintained. In recent years, U.S. military planners have shifted their focus from counterterrorism, low intensity conflict to great power, high intensity threats. What is the Strategic Importance of the South China Sea? In particular, Chinas growing assertiveness over sovereignty and maritime rights in the South China Sea could be assessed as a serious challenge to the status quo in the region. The U.S.-Thai relationship has suffered since the 2006 coup that overthrew Thaksin Shinawatra and especially since the latest coup, which saw the military take control in 2014 and stubbornly cling to power. through South China Sea Port is 1400 kms long. The credibility of U.S. security support for allies and partners will be shredded. India will lose its current freedom of access into the South China Sea and much of Southeast Asia. But the South China Sea has been dangerously overfished. Why the Arctic is Not the 'Next' South China Sea U.S. responses to Chinas South China Sea activities have been insufficient to alter Chinas behavior and have fed the narrative that China is pushing the United States out of the region. Why is the South China Sea so important to the US? The end of the Cold War found East Asia and the Western Pacific strategically quiescent. 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. Hanoi will move cautiously and such access may be limited to the purposes of logistical support for the time being. Recent satellite analysis by the Center for Strategic and International Studies shows that Chinese fishing fleets are engaged in paramilitary work on behalf of the state rather than the commercial enterprise of fishing, the organization reported. When expanded it provides a list of search options that will switch the search inputs to match the current selection. 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". There were, however, cautionary signs for those prepared to see them. The largest and most powerful of these . The United States has an interest in seeing that these partners maintain their strategic autonomy, but capacity building efforts to help them resist coercion are not keeping pace with Chinas growing capabilities. Nevertheless, for America, this new world will be profoundly discomfiting and even alien. Since the mid-1990s, China has pursued a strategy . U.S. leaders should not be afraid of tension in the U.S.-China relationship. 1616 Rhode Island Avenue, NW Importantly, the Air Forces presence on Luzon, perhaps to be followed by regular naval rotations in Subic Bay, will put the United States in a better position to quickly seal up the Luzon Strait, which links the South China Sea to the Philippine Sea and the wider Pacific Ocean. In particular, shifting explanations for how the United States will manage Chinas rising power and influencealong with the military-heavy implementation of the rebalancehave exacerbated suspicions that Washington seeks to contain Beijings rise. Such access would complement the renewed U.S. presence in the Philippines; facilitate a regular American presence in the western part of the South China Sea; enable the United States to more easily defendor seal upthe Malacca Strait; and, it should be noted, put American forces within striking distance of major Chinese bases on Hainan, including port facilities that host Chinas ballistic missile submarines. There were, however, cautionary signs for those prepared to see them. Yet, it was and is all of that. That included nearly 40 percent of Chinas total trade and 90 percent of petroleum imports by China, Japan, and South Korea and nearly 6 percent of total U.S. trade. director of the South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative at Peking . Besides, more than half of the world's fishing vessels pass through the SCS. 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. The area marked with a blue line is based on the UNCLOS 200 nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) relating to each countrys claims and the islands marked in green are the ones over which sovereignty is disputed. Marcos Jr. had previously said his country would pursue oil and gas exploration in the South China Sea even without a deal with China, which claims almost all of the 1.3 million square mile South . Back in 2006, Japan became only the second country (after Russia) to establish a strategic partnership with Vietnam. by Geoffrey Hartman Geo-Strategic Importance of the South China Sea It would also open the option of persistently jamming Chinese radar installations in the Spratlys. Brunei, ASEAN and the South China Sea | Lowy Institute 1) Islands are much more strategically valuable. This article examines Chinas behaviour in the South China Sea disputes through the lens of its strategy for managing its claims. Notably, the paper identified Malaysia's maritime claims in the South China Sea as its top security concern. South China Sea Dispute - History, Causes & Consequences for UPSC However, there were a number of reasons to conclude that the line was no cartographic anomaly; it was an official indication of Beijings contention that the sovereign territory of China included the South China Sea. The United States calls this treaty the Law of the Sea Convention.. China has harassed U.S. Navy ships operating in the South China Sea, warned military flights to stay away from its artificial islands, and recently seized a U.S. drone operating in the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines. It will always have an eye on the need to protect itself against attack from the sea, but there's much more to China's vulnerability than potential invasion or bombardment. To this end, the new administration should perform an early, top-down, and thorough strategic review to enable greater consistency and effectiveness in U.S. South China Sea policy. But addressing the risks of its near seas means tackling the time-consuming and costly project of building, training and deploying a stronger blue-water navy while also establishing a greater . Pexels India-China Indo-Pacific South China Sea Signalling is important international relations. In May, Australia and Singapore agreed to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. In the defense realm, the CSP paves the way for more bilateral military exercises, greater Singaporean access to Australian training facilities, enhanced intelligence-sharing arrangements and expanded people-to-people exchanges. The isolationist China has never traditionally had a deep water navy, with a significant power projection capability; however the production of its first aircraft carrier (Liaoning) has been a noteworthy change from a soft power in the land environment to a hard power projection at sea stance. In a context of great power competition, the South China Sea (SCS) has emerged as an arena of U.S.-China strategic competition. It is unlikely that any states in the region possess the wealth and power to oppose this, although there is always a realistic possibility that they may receive backing from the USA if it is in their interests. World. But as it does so, it acts as midwife to a very real strategic realignment in Southeast Asia, one which promises to benefit the United States and its partners. 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. 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. South China Sea or even some part of its strategically significant zones will provide the sovereign nation state significant seat in global trade agreements. A third of the world's shipping passes through it, its fisheries are critical sources of food for millions of people. Instead, perceptions of weakness may encourage leaders in Beijing to embrace more assertive behavior. Islands in the South China Sea The islands of the South China Sea can be grouped into two island chains. "American aircraft, this is the PLA air force. To counter Chinas efforts to control the South China Sea, the United States needs a sustainable strategy to bolster its own capabilities, work more effectively with capable allies and partners, and strengthen the regional order. China's strategic reach into the South China Sea has obvious and profound implications for three sets of international actors: (1) the littoral Southeast Asian states (Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, and the Philippines); (2) major maritime countries heavily dependent on the sea lanes through the South China Sea (including Japan, Korea, and Few in Washington were inclined to see the South China Sea as a strategic priority engaging vital U.S. national interests.