Explained: What is behind the diplomatic tensions in the South China Sea?

A 2014 Chinese attempt to drill oil on the Paracel Islands, claimed by Vietnam, had sparked riots against China in Vietnam in which several Chinese factories were wrecked.

Amid the global coronavirus pandemic, China has been busy increasing its presence in the South China Sea. This time, the focus of his purchasing attention is the two disputed archipelagos of the Spratly Islands and the Paracel Islands in the middle of the waters of the South China Sea, between the territory of Vietnam and the Philippines. Last week, Beijing unilaterally renamed 80 islands and other geographic features in the area, drawing criticism from neighboring countries that have also claimed the same territory.

If the dispute worsens, Asia-Pacific researchers believe it could have serious consequences for diplomatic relations and stability in the region.

An aerial view shows Pagasa (Hope) Island, part of the disputed Spratly group of islands, in the South China Sea off the west coast of the Philippines on July 20, 2011. (REUTERS / Rolex Dela Pena / Pool )

What is the Spratly Islands dispute about?

There has been an ongoing territorial dispute between China, Taiwan, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Malaysia regarding ownership of the Spratly Islands archipelago and nearby geographic features such as coral reefs, cays, etc. Since 1968, these nations have participated in various types of military occupation of the islands and the surrounding waters, with the exception of Brunei, which has contained its objections to the use of its marine waters for commercial fishing.

Although the Spratly Islands are largely uninhabited, there is a possibility that they have large reserves of untapped natural resources. However, due to the ongoing dispute, there have been few initiatives to explore the scale of these reserves, and therefore the amount of natural resources the islands may have is based on speculation and extrapolation by studying the resources available on nearby islands.

In the 1970s, oil was discovered on neighboring islands, specifically off the coast of Palawan. This discovery increased the territorial demands of these countries. Over the years, United States government agencies have claimed that there is little or no oil and natural gas on these islands, but these reports have done little to reduce the territorial dispute.

What is the Paracel Islands dispute about?

The Paracel Islands dispute is a little more complex. This archipelago is a collection of 130 islands and coral reefs and is located in the South China Sea, almost equidistant from China and Vietnam. Beijing says that references to the Paracel islands as part of China’s sovereign territory can be found in the 14th century writings of the Song dynasty. Vietnam, on the other hand, says that historical texts from at least the 15th century show that the islands were part of its territory.

These islands are also mentioned in the records from the 16th century onwards by explorers who led expeditions to the east: Portuguese, British, Dutch, French and Spanish, all have written about the Paracel islands in various texts. The colonial powers of French Indochina further accelerated tensions with respect to the Paracel Islands due to their colonial policies in the 20th century.

By 1954, tensions had increased dramatically between China and Vietnam over the archipelago. In January 1974, China and Vietnam fought over their territorial disputes, after which China took control of the islands. In retaliation, in 1982, Vietnam said that it had extended its administrative powers over these islands. In 1999, Taiwan launched into the fray presenting its claim over the entire archipelago.

Since 2012, China, Taiwan, and Vietnam have attempted to strengthen their claims on the ground by building government administrative buildings, tourism, land reclamation initiatives, and establishing and expanding the military presence in the archipelago.

What was the most recent dispute about?

Following the recent establishment of new administrative districts on the Spratly and Paracel Islands, the Chinese Ministry of Natural Resources and the Ministry of Civil Affairs jointly announced that the Chinese government had “named” 80 islands, reefs and other geographic features around the two archipelagos with chinese names The last time China participated unilaterally in a similar initiative was in 1983, where 287 geographical features were renamed in the disputed island chain.

In recent years, China has intensified military aggression and created artificial islands for military and economic purposes in the South China Sea, drawing criticism from neighboring countries and other Western powers. A few weeks ago, Vietnam had filed a complaint with the UN claiming that China had illegally sunk a fishing boat near the Paracel Islands, killing eight people on board. In March, China built two investigation stations on territory claimed by the Philippines.

Following China’s renaming of the islands, the United States dispatched an assault ship and guided missile cruiser to the waters near Spratly and Paracel islands, off the coast of Malaysia. Soon after, Chinese and Australian warships also entered the fray. After the arrival of the US warships, regional observers expressed concern that the presence of the United States only serves to increase tensions. The United States has no territorial claims in the South China Sea, but it is known to send its naval force into the waters whenever there are provocative events in the waters, particularly angering China.

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