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Warnings against China’s land reclamation in the South China Sea
Warnings against China’s land reclamation in the South China Sea
6/3/15
Much has been
written and reported on China’s
recent land reclamation and mass construction activities in the Paracel and Spratly Islands,
which raise alarm about Chinese plans to alter the status quo in the South China Sea.
IHS Jane's has obtained satellite imagery that further
illustrates the extent of China's
building of new islands in the Spratly
Islands. An IHS Jane’s report corroborated claims that China was embarking on an island-building
project in the South China Sea. Based on
satellite imagery, Jane’s reported that China
was building an airstrip-capable island on Fiery Cross Reef, a group of three
reefs in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea.
China claims the territory
as part of Hainan province’s Sansha prefecture
and exerts de
facto control over the area. The reef’s central location in
the broader South China Sea renders it a
strategic position for an island-based airstrip.
On Woody Island,
part of the Paracels group which is claimed by both Vietnam
and Taiwan, China
has long had an airstrip 2.7km (1.7 miles) long. Now, at Fiery Cross Reef,
it appears to be building a 3km-long airstrip. At Hughes Reef, 75,000 square
metres of sand have been reclaimed since last August to house a large new
facility, according to estimates by IHS Jane’s Defence Weekly, a specialist
journal. Further work is under way at Gaven, Cuarteron, Eldad and Mischief reefs.
In analyzing China’s
intentions in its land reclamation, expansion and construction works on Fiery Cross Reef, Dr. Nguyen
Ngoc Truong, President
of the Center for Strategic Studies and International Relations Development
shared the views that the Fiery Cross Reef helped China “extend
its military influences to the coastal
Southeast Asian states”. An airbase
in the Fiery Cross Reef enabled China’s bombers to extend their
range. “In the past, Chinese aircrafts deployed from Hainan
Island found it hard to operate in Spratly Islands. Now, they can even control
their range above the Southeast Asia”, said
Mr. Truong. This had threatened security and maritime safety in the South China
Sea and challenged sovereignty, peace and stability in Southeast
Asia.
According
to Mr. Truong,
Fiery Cross Reef was one of the five features where China built its military bases in Spratly Island in an attempt to showcase its determination to
turn the rocks into
structure of military outposts
and strengthen its control over
the entire South China Sea. These five
features in Spratly Islands, when connecting to Paracel
Islands, would create a hexagonal
control of the entire South China Sea where
most of the global sea routes run through.
China’s land reclamation operation in Spratly Island
serves two purposes:
First, it will establish new air and
naval bases which could be used as jumping - off points for China to expand
further to the south. Once completed, these bases are large enough to hold
powerful military forces. With these bases, China will also be able to overcome
its existing weakness such as the mismatch between its ambition and military
arrangement. They also provide basic improvement of logistic, supplies, air
combat and naval operation. Eventually, China will have a significant
control on air, at and under the sea.
Second, by turning
submerged reefs into artificial islands, China
is step - by - step bolstering its claim over the continental shelf and
exclusive economic zones of coastal nations in the East Sea.
In turning these areas from undisputed into disputed waters, China will
pressure coastal nations into “joint development” with its given conditions.
Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying justified their illegal
activities by stating that: “the work is mainly for the purpose of improving
the living conditions of people stationed on these islands”. This eventually
will be the same rationale China
uses to argue that these artificial islands have all the sufficient conditions
for inhabitants, having the same features as natural islands. Based on such
argument, China
will draw substantially new baseline, declare water territory and exclusive
economic zone as prescribed in the 1982 UNCLOS. If that happens, China will create a new ground for its
groundless “nine - dash line” claim, hence seizing the entire East Sea.
China believed that its land reclamation activities and
building of artificial islands will help Beijing
control sea routes in the South China Sea. China had asserted control, using satellite and
unmanned aerial vehicle, almost all islands and reefs in the South China Sea
located within a parameter of 150 km from China. However, China thought
that the best way to monitor was to deploy military forces to these artificial
islands and that was what it wanted to do.
Beijing continues to defend its right to create the islands
although its logic is sometimes impenetrable. Responding to reporters'
questions at a regular press briefing on 9 September, Chinese Foreign Ministry
spokesperson Hua Chunying said: "We have answered this question many times
before, and I suppose you must be fully aware of China's position. China asserts indisputable sovereignty over the
Nansha [Spratly] Islands and the adjacent waters, and China's activities on relevant islands and reefs
of the Nansha Islands
fall entirely within China's
sovereignty and are totally justifiable."
When asked what the purpose of the
recent construction was, Hua said it was "mainly for the purpose of
improving the working and living conditions of people stationed on these
islands"
There is also the
concern that the Chinese government may use these features as military facilities
to enforce a potential Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ). The Chinese
unilaterally declared an ADIZ off their East Coast but were unable to enforce
their declaration as the US
military immediately challenged it. CSIS expert Poling stresses that while the
facilities at these artificial islands will allow China to exercise greater maritime
patrol and aerial surveillance capabilities, they are unlikely to allow it to
enforce any future ADIZ it announces.
Gregory Poling, an expert at the U.S. Center for Strategic and
International Studies (CSIS), said that the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea shall never acknowledge the artificial islands of China. But With
China’s action, the Court would not be able to determine the original status of the subject that gave rise to territorial sea disputes. In response to the international
radio Deutsche Welle
(Germany),
Mr. Gregory Poling
suggested that the Philippines and Viet Nam should
work together to conduct exploration activities in the South China Sea before China completes
its scheme to build artificial islands.
Clearly, Beijing’s
provocative action is changing the status quo in the East
Sea by creating a new conjuncture in
favor of China.
In response to such aggressive activities, Vietnam
should work with the Philippines,
US and other ASEAN states to push forward the US
“freeze” initiative and the Philippines’
“Triple Action Plan”. Vietnam
should also urges other countries to express strong condemnation against
Chinese unilateral activity that undermines international law./.
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All comments [ 10 ]
Since the beginning of 2014, not only did China carry out large scaled reclamation in Fiery Cross Reef, it also expanded and built large structures on Johnson South Reef, Gaven Reef and Cuarteron Reef etc., in Spratly Islands.
According to various analysts, the purpose of China building infrastructure on reefs and rocks in Spratly Islands was not only to gather intelligence information of its neighbors, but also to realize its so - called “nine - dashed line” claim enclosed the entire South China Sea.
China will pay for what they do!
International experts all agreed that China’s large scaled land reclamation and expansion of the features of Spratly Islands to build military bases imposed far more risk than its illegal deployment of the oil rig Haiyang Shiyou 981 in Vietnamese waters.
It is an urgent need for the international community to show stronger voice opposing Chinese aggressiveness and expansionism.
In theory, at least, the artificial island then can be cited to advance its legal claims not only to a 12-mile territorial sea but also to a 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone as well.
There is a sad reality that with the benefit of modern technology, China is able to transform nature.
On one hand, China is discussing peace in the South China Sea with its Southeast Asian neighbors, but on the other, it is trying to change the status quo there through unilateral actions.
Beijing needs to realize this inconsistency will result only in aggravating tensions and distrust between the two sides.
China should allow its neighbours sufficient breathing space. After all, as the Chinese people know, it is important to have your neighbours as your friends.
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