Spratly Islands Conflict over territory Done By: Jaspel Tan Wang Chun Kai

Location

Background Information Consists of more than 750 reefs, islets, atolls, cays and islands, over 600 coral reefs Total < 4km of land Spread over sq km of sea Important in establishing international boundaries Rich fishing areas Rich in natural resources such as oil and gas

History 600BC to 3 BC - Chinese maps recorded the Spratly islands, and considered it within their national boundaries Vietnam included the Spratly Islands within their maps. China and Vietnam laid claim to the Spratly Islands simultaneously, but neither side knew that each other had charted and claimed the Spratly Islands In 1968, the Philippines started to take their claims a bit more seriously and stationed troops on three islands. In 1973 Vietnamese troops were stationed on five islands.

History Claiming storm damage, 7 Chinese naval vessels entered the area to repair "fishing shelters" in Panganiban Reef. Malaysia erected a structure on Investigator Shoal and landed at Rizal Reef. In response the Philippines lodged formal protests, demanded the removal of the structures, increased naval patrols in Kalayaan and issued invitations to American politicians to inspect the PRC bases by plane.

Early 21 st century 5 th March 2002 Proposal for a free trade area Resolve the problem of sovereignty "without further use of force“ Parties may also explore or undertake cooperative activities such as marine environmental protection; marine scientific research; safety of navigation and communication at sea; search and rescue operation; and combating transnational crime.

Agreements ASEAN and PRC agreement where one country would inform the other of any military movement within the disputed territory and that there would be no further construction. The agreement was violated soon by China and Malaysia.

UNCLOS The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) procedure for countries with coastlines to submit claims for their continental shelf to be extended beyond 200 nautical miles of their shores brought the spotlight back to the South China Sea and Spratly Islands in May 2009.

Two such submissions were by Vietnam, and another jointly by Vietnam and Malaysia for a joint claim. Brunei has not submitted such a claim but notified the UN it’s intention to claim a continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles from its shores. China immediately issued protests over the two submissions and called on the United Nations not to consider them. It also issued a stern warning to countries not to claim the islands which it said were its sovereign territory. UNCLOS

5 Countries involved in the conflicts (Main-Players)

China China claimed possession of all of the islands in the Spratly region. China entered the dispute in three phases. The first phase encompassed China's claim to the Paracel Islands (North of the Spratly Islands) in the 1950s. The second phase took place in 1974, when China seized the Paracel Islands from Vietnam. The third phase began on 14 March 1988, with China's military engagement with Vietnamese forces over the removal of China's flag from a newly claimed shoal. The military clash resulted in China gaining possession of 6 islands in the Spratly region.

China China's claim to all islands in the Spratly archipelago stems from its historical presence in the region, dating as far back as the Han dynasty of the 2nd century, BC. According to Marcus Hall's evaluation, China's historical claim is dubious and neglects similar historical claims by Taiwan, Vietnam and Malaysia. Moreover, China's historical interpretation of its sovereignty rights ignores current international law.

The Philippines The Philippines claim approximately 60 of islands in the Spratly region. Joint exploration with Royal Dutch/Shell Group and Alcorn International near the Palawan Island will raise the Philippines annual oil production from the 3,000 b/d produced in 1991 from 7 wells in the South China Sea.

Vietnam Vietnam claims part of the islands in the Spratly region. Vietnam's only oil well in production as of 1991 is the White Tiger field, 400 km west of the Crestone block. In 1992, however, Vietnam hastened leasing to foreign exploration.

Taiwan Like China, Taiwan claims all of the islands in the Spratly region. The Spratly Islands are strategically important to Taiwan for two reasons: 1) Important shipping lanes pass through waters surrounding the Spratly Islands 2) The South China Sea which has an abundant supply of fish. Thus, Taiwan feels compelled to protect its interests.

Malaysia Malaysia is the earliest oil operator in the sea and claims 3 islands and 4 rock groups in the Spratly region. As of 1992, Malaysia was running 90 oil- producing wells, with $210 million planned for further development between 1992 and 1995.

Brunei Brunei claims the Louisa Reef in the Spratly region, located adjacent to its coastline. Brunei became an active player in the Spratly disputes only during the recent years. Production of its 9 oil fields in the South China Sea hovers around 143,000 b/d.

Other countries that had played a part in the conflicts indirectly (Side-Players)

United States The United States could become involved on two fronts -- commercial and military. U.S. businesses participating in off-shore exploration in the disputed islands have a commercial stake in how inter-state tension and disputed claims are resolved. On the military side, the United States has a mutual defense pact with the Philippines, yet analysts indicate the Spratly disputes are unlikely to invoke the pact. The United States would, however, likely take action if maritime activity was restricted in a manner inconsistent with international law.

Japan Japan,like the United States, has a vested interest in the resolution of the Spratly disputes. The disputed region is located near Japan's principal oil imports' shipping lanes. Moreover, Japanese companies are involved in some of the exploration endeavors in the disputed territory.

ASEAN ASEAN members are concerned that the U.S. withdrawal of military troops from the region and the Soviet Union's disintegration will leave the region without a counterbalance to China. Although many western analysts view China's military capabilities as obsolete, China's military power in the ASEAN region is still superior, both quantitatively and qualitatively.

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