By James Xu ‘18
The ocean and islands of Southeast Asia, filled with oil, fish, ocean life, and other resources, has long attracted territorial disputes between China, The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Indonesia. To strengthen their claim to the islands in the South China Sea, both China and the Philippines have aggressively started to build islands in the coral reefs. Ships that are sent by both nations carry tons of sand and dump them into the ocean to create artificial islands. The Philippines has pointed to the islands the Chinese are constructing and claim that these are strategic positions for military bases in order for China to forcefully impose its will on “Filipino territories”. The U.S. echoed such concern, citing that China’s action will “seriously increase tension and educe prospect of diplomatic solutions.” The two allied nations plan to conduct a joint military exercise in the disputed area. China’s Foreign Ministry, as expected, fired back and released a statement, asserting that island constructions are for “typhoon shelters, navigation aids, search-and-rescue centers, marine meteorological forecasting stations, fishing services and civil administration offices.” Additionally, Beijing has pointed out the inconsistency that Washington exhibited when dealing with territorial dispute, citing that the U.S. turned a blind eye to the island construction of the Philippines. The construction of such islands has destroyed about 300 acres of coral reefs and is causing “irreversible and widespread damage to the biodiversity and ecological balance” of the South China Sea. The economic damage due to loss of fish harvest is likely to be in the hundreds of millions.Unfortunately, the outlook for a diplomatic solution does not seem optimistic. China, as the prideful and assertive nation it is, remains reluctant to compromise. The land reclamation trend that started approximately 10 years ago is still going strong, and along with the booming economic and military prowess, Beijing will only become more aggressive. On top of that, the Communist Party and its people sincerely believe they have the legitimate claim to the islands in both the South China Sea and East China Sea. Historically speaking, Chinese fisherman have enjoyed the sea’s resources; they have inhabited the islands for thousands of years. Thus, the Chinese rightfully own the land and the Filipino territorial claim represents nothing but an absurd attempt to extend its border. Besides reasons rooted in national and historical pride, China also sees no strategic reasons to back down. Having the most powerful military in the area, no neighbors can challenge territorial disputes forcefully; this is akin to Russia’s growing aggression in Eastern Europe. Europe is tangled with its own economic crisis; on top of that, Russia stirred up trouble on its eastern side. Although he U.S is an ally of many of China’s regional rivals, it remains a top trading partner with China. Therefore, any sort of severe sanctions, such as those imposed on Russia, would be catastrophic for both economies. Realizing the impediments of two major western powers, Beijing sees no rationale to back down.On the Filipino side, Manila knows they have the support from their ally, the United States, and therefore is not likely to back down either. The announcement of a joint military exercise, the largest in recent memory, only serves a demonstration of strength rather than the willingness to sit down in front of the negotiation table. With no resolution in sight, the situation would likely remain as is, if not escalate. Sources:http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/14/world/asia/chinas-island-building-is-ruining-coral-reefs-philippines-says.html?_r=0http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/09/world/asia/new-images-show-china-literally-gaining-ground-in-south-china-sea.htmlhttp://news.xinhuanet.com/mil/2015-04/14/c_127687267_2.htm