Many Maritime Activities By Major Powers Around South China Sea Heighten Tensions – Analysis

The South China Sea has emerged as a theatre for great power contestation as several countries in Asia make contesting claims to the areas that fall within their Exclusive Economic Zones as per international laws governing maritime commerce. In contrast, China makes claims almost in its entirety to this strategically important maritime space. As trillions of dollars of cargo transit through this critical sea area, the issue of securing safe transport by major sea faring nations are drawn into the picture.

Philippines is one of the claimants that approached the international tribunal at The Hague for adjudication as China violated its sovereignty by encroaching into its EEZ and secured a verdict in its favour in July 2016. China rejected the ruling, being aware that the tribunal has no law enforcing authority and thus found the ruling not binding to observe. Since then the situation and activities of China in the South China Sea has increased. In particular, it is involved in a series of spat with the Philippines including firing water cannons and deploying coast guard ships to islands that have remained strategic strongholds for the Philippines for a long time. Such activities have drawn other major maritime powers not having claims but have maritime interests so that international maritime traffic is secured from potential disruptions. 

Some major powers have chosen two-fold approach: to engage China by holding duelling military drills in the South China Sea and holding separate drills with their partner countries with twin objectives – to deter any unilateral actions by any single power and be ready to meet any contingency. 

In the latest initiative on this, Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF) warship transited for the first time the Taiwan Strait and then joined naval and air forces from Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines and the US for joint military exercises in the disputed South China Sea. In view of the ramped-up tensions in the area, the joint show of force came in response to Chinese military’s Southern Theatre Command’s claim that it had organised its air and sea forces to carry out drills and patrols of the sea and airspace around the flash point Scarborough Shoal in the strategic waterway. 

According to the US Indo-Pacific Command, the drills by the US and its partners in the Asia Pacific – the fourth iteration of the Multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity or what commonly known as joint military exercises – were held within an unidentified area of the Philippines’ EEZ in the strategic waterway.           

The exercises involving the armed forces of five countries – the US, the Philippines, Japan, Australia, and first time New Zealand – in Manila’s EEZ aimed to improve the militaries’ interoperability. The exercise involved a Philippine warship, the US’ USS Howard, Japan’s JS Sazanami, and New Zealand’s HMNZS Aotearoa. The drills demonstrated the “collective commitment to strengthen regional and international cooperation in support of a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific”. 

As mentioned, the drills came after a series of air and sea encounters between the Philippines and China and both at confrontational mode over the control of the strategic and one of Asia’s most contested Scarborough Shoal that has been occupied by China’s coast guard for more than a decade.      

When the naval vessels from New Zealand and Australia sailed through the Taiwan Strait, part of the South China Sea, China was quick to protest, saying it alone exercises sovereignty and jurisdiction over the strait and that the “democratically governed Taiwan” has no right to claim to be independent as it is an integral part of China. That is a separate issue to be discussed separately. The moot point is that both the US and Taiwan say the strait is a major trade route through which about half of global container ships pass is an international waterway. This is at the core of the conflict between the China and the US and other partner countries. 

As a major resource exporting nation, Australia too is concerned and has consistently pressured China on peace and stability in the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait to secure its maritime interests and protect from major disruptions, which is why its Foreign Minister Penny Wong in a speech to the UN General Assembly commended the resumption of leader and military level dialogue between the US and China. Regretfully, China exposed its insincerity by deploying its air and naval forces to conduct manoeuvres in a disputed area of the sea hours after the top diplomats of the two countries – Foreign Minister Wang Yi and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken – were discussing ways of reducing regional tensions and avoid conflict in the South China Sea. For record, China claims nearly all of the South China Sea, despite overlapping maritime claims by Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam, angering its neighbours.

The Southern Theatre Command of the People’s Liberation Army claimed that the drills included “routine” early warning and reconnaissance exercises as well as patrols around Scarborough Shoal. It further claimed that the theatre troops maintain a high degree of vigilance, resolutely defending national sovereignty, security and maritime rights and interests, and firm in maintaining peace and stability in the South China Sea. As one of Asia’s most contested features, the Scarborough Shoal is just 200 km (124 miles) off the Philippines, within its exclusive economic zone.

China did not honour the 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague, which ruled that China’s sweeping claims were not supported by international law. Instead it continued its aggrandizement activities and by disrespecting other countries’ sovereignty and national interests. China’s claims to almost the entire South China Sea includes the atoll, covered for its bountiful fish stocks and stunning turquoise lagoon, despite overlapping claims in the busy waterway by Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. The tribunal did not determine sovereignty over the Scarborough Shoal but said it was a traditional fishing ground for several countries. 

It may be recalled that in March 2024 Blinken has assured the Philippines its defence partnership with the US was “ironclad” after Manila accused Beijing of aggressive deployments in the South China Sea of its coast guard and fishing vessels suspected of being maritime militia. Though Blinken raised the issue of China’s dangerous and destabilising actions in the South China Sea, Wang Yi stuck to his argument that Beijing would prefer resolving differences with countries directly through dialogue and consultation and exhorted the US not to always stir up trouble in the South China Sea and undermine efforts of regional countries to maintain peace and stability.  

Though the US lays no claim to the sea passageway but U.S. Navy ships and fighter jets have carried out patrols for decades to challenge China’s expansive claims and promote freedom of navigation and overflight. The US is obligated to defend the Philippines under a 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty if Filipino forces, ships and aircraft come under attack, including in the South China Sea. Thus, there seems to be no easy solution to the South China Sea issue.