SPRATLY AND PARCEL ISLANDS BRIEFING

WHAT IS AT STAKE? The Spratly and Parcel Islands are a group of several thousand islands/atolls in the South China Sea (only four square miles of land total) No native islanders, but some occupied by the military forces of states with economic interests. Valuable fishing grounds, but surveys clearly indicate significant reserves of oil and natural gas in the area. Many of the islands are claimed as part of several nations Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) Vietnam, China, Taiwan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei all have formal claims, while Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia have informal claims to parts of the region.

OIL AND NATURAL GAS Reserves of oil in the Spratlys is estimated to be around 17.7 billion tons. These reserves represent the fourth largest reserve bed of oil in the world. Kuwait’s reserves amount to 13 billion tons (in comparison).

VIETNAM IN 2004 In 2004, Vietnam posted an official government White Paper stating that “Vietnam has sufficient historical evidence and legal basis to assert its indisputable sovereignty over the territorial waters and islands of Vietnam in the East Sea, among them the Parcels and Spratlys. Nevertheless, for the common security interests of the parties concerned, Vietnam is ready to enter into peaceful negotiations to settle the problem, first and foremost by reaching an agreement on the "Code of Conduct" pending the final solution.”

EVENTS IN 2011 May 23, 2011, The Philippine’s president, Beniano Aquino III warned the Chinese defense minister, Liang Guangli, of a possible ‘arms race’ in the region if tensions worsened over disputes (over the oil- rich Spratly islands) in the South China Sea. In May 2011, Chinese naval vessels (accompanying Chinese fishing vessels) opened fire on (up to 4 according to Vietnamese authorities) Vietnamese fishing vessels operating off of East London Reef (Da Dong Island). This attack sparked mass protests in Vietnam, especially in Hanoi and Saigon, and in Vietnamese communities worldwide (i.e. California, Paris, etc.), who were upset by attacks on Vietnamese citizens and an intrusion into what they believed to be part of their nation. In June 2011, the Philippines renamed the South China Sea and the Reed Bank as the West Philippine Sea and the Recto Bank

EVENTS IN 2011 June 2011—Vietnam carried out a ‘live-fire’ military exercise in the area, which was denounced by the Chinese. China dispatched its largest patrol ship to patrol the region in response. In the last several years, Chinese, Filipino, and Vietnamese entities (often in conjunction with Western oil firms) have begun drilling for oil in the area. Reminder: the United States has a Joint-Defense pact with The Philippines.

MAIN ACTOR’S MILITARY STRENGTH ChinaVietnamthe Philippines Tanks9,2002, Submarines5100 Destroyers and Frigates 5571 Patrol and Coastal Aircraft Combat Aircraft5, Armed Forces2,930,000572,000106,500

EXCLUSIVE ECONOMIC ZONES

CHINESE CLAIMS

PROBLEM WITH CHINESE CLAIMS They are based on China’s historical presence in the region (dating back to the Han Dynasty (around 200 B.C.) However, the claims of all islands in the Spratlys is in direct violation of international law (Exclusive Economic Zones)