Edgardo Florentino

THESIS STATEMENT: The Spratly group of islands, which is included in the area of the South China Sea, possesses economic and geopolitical features that maintained the claims of several Asian and non-Asian countries.

The end of the cold war gave emphasis on local and regional concerns that were weakened by the period of cold war. The realm of concern encompasses ethnic rivalries, religious fundamentalism, international terrorism, criminality and territorial and border disputes.

One of the aged territorial and border dispute is the claim over the Spratly group of islands. This major conflict over territorial jurisdiction in the Asia Pacific is merely problems among six countries striving to conquer their claimed area to pursue their economic and political interests. Some claims are chiefly historically based and some are geographically based.

This research aspires to discuss the different claims of the various countries within the surroundings of the South China Sea. Additionally, this paper extends its discussion over the intervention of the United States, even though the U.S. is not within the area of concern.

The Spratlys, together with the Paracels, Pratas, Macclesfield Bank, Scarborough Reef and the Tseng-mu Reef form the large area called the South China Sea. The Natunas, the Gulf of Thailand and the Gulf of Tonkin are probably included in the South China Sea depending on how one defines the South China Sea. The South China Sea as a whole is located along several countries namely China, Philippines, Indonesia, Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. Additionally, it is situated near the world’s two key oceans namely the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. It has an area of 1, 311, 000 million square miles or 3.4 million square kilometers.

The largest group of reefs and islands in the South China Sea, called the Spratlys, is located about two-thirds of the way from southern Vietnam and southern Philippines. It is as well called Lagos or Nan-sha in Chinese or Troung-sa in Vietnamese. It cover the coordinates, 8 38 North, 111 55 East. It has a total area, comprised of land area alone, which is less than 5 square meters. It is noted that the Spratlys includes approximately 100 islets, coral reefs and sea mounts that is spread over an area of almost 410, 000 square kilometers of the central South China Sea.

The whole Spratlys can be divided into 12 island sub-groups namely, North Danger Cays, Pagasa Island and Reef, Likas Island, Loaita Island and the Reef, Irving Cay, Nan-sha Island, Tizard Bank and Reef, Union Bank and Reef, the Rizal or the Commodore Reef, etc.

The South China Sea dispute is indeed a deep-rooted problem. It was, in 1920s and 1950s, a problem between China, Japan, and France. These three countries have already acrimoniously fought over the matter of ownership of the Paracels and the Spratlys over the decades. As time past, six countries emerged and articulated their demands over maritime jurisdiction and sovereignty regarding the group of islands. These competing claims resulted into this sudden increase of tension and the friction between the claimants.

In 1992, Brunei Foreign Minister Prince Mohammad Bolkaih announced that the Sultanate is claiming sovereignty over the seas surrounding Loisa Reef located on the Southern tip of Palawan, 200 kilometers off the coast of Brunei.

The Sultanate does not occupy any of the islands, but it claims part of the South China Sea nearest to it as part of its continental shelf and Exclusive Economic Zone or the EEZ. This EEZ that included Loiusa Reef was declared by Brunei in 1984. Furthermore, on July 1993, it declared its 200 meters EEZ.

The claim of Malaysia included the Commodore Reef (also claimed by the Philippines), Amboyna Cay, and the Mariveles Reef. It is demanded by the country that the Amboyna Cay is part of the country’s 200 meters EEZ and continental shelf. It 1986, it strengthened its claim by occupying Dallas Reef, Mariveles Reef and six other features that are located inside their EEZ. The basis of the Malaysian claim is merely upon the continental shelf principle.

In the present, it occupied three islands. It also maintains a 17-room hotel on the Swallow Reef. More than that, the country plans to build a 1500 meters runway on the same reef.

The Philippines claims 53 islands, rocks, cays and reefs in the Spratlys area known as the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG) on the basis of effective occupation. Its claims have actually clearly defined coordinates based both upon the proximity principle and on the explorations of a Philippine explorer in 1956.

In 1971, the country legally claimed the eight islands or the Kalayaan Island Groups. And, in 1972, these islands were selected as part of the Palawan Province and have been occupied.

Vietnam claims the Paracels and the Spratlys based on history and continental shelf principle. According to them, the whole Spratlys is an offshore district of the province of Khanh Hoa. The country had followed the Chinese example of having archeological findings as evidence for their claim.

In the 1930s, France being the colonizers of Vietnam claimed the Spratlys and the Paracels. Since then, Vietnam had occupied 20 islands as reinforcement of their claim.

In addition, on May 12, 1977, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam issued the "Statement on the Territorial Sea, the Contiguous Zone, the Exclusive Economic Zone and the Continental Shelf of Vietnam". All of these issuances are stating the country’s claim of the 12 meters territorial waters, 12 meters contiguous zone, 200 meters EEZ and the assumption of the natural continuation principle of its continental shelf claim.

Similar to Vietnam and China, the Taiwan’s claim is based on history. In 1947, the Kuomintang Government integrated the four island groups of the South China Sea into Kaugtung Province.

In the present, Taiwan maintains a military base in Itu Aba. It said that since 1955 the Taiwanese already conquered this northern island of the Spratlys.

Three years ago, February 1999, the legislature of Taiwan declared its Territorial Waters Law defining the ROC’s 12 nautical mile territorial waters determined from the baseline around the coast of the main island, the Diauyutai islands, the Pratas islands, and the Macclesfield Bank. In addition to this, the Law also states that the base point and baselines for the Nan-sha islands will be publicized in the future.

Chinese claims on the South China Sea are merely based on various historical events starting from the Han Dynasty in 110 AD and the Ming Dynasty from 1403-1433. Moreover, China makes use of archeological evidences to support their claim.

China seems to be asserting rule over the whole South China Sea’s islands, waters and other features. This claim includes the Nan-sha (Spratlys), Xisha (Paracels), Dongsha (Pratas), and the Zhongsha (Macclesfield Bank). All of the stated areas were included by China in their administrative jurisdiction under its Hainan Province.

Unlike all the Asian claimants, the Indonesia is not into fighting for any area in the South China Sea. The only problem articulated by Indonesia is that the claims of China and Taiwan may overlap or extend over the Indonesia’s EEZ and continental shelf including Indonesia’s Natuna gas field

Although the United States is not within the area surrounding the South China Sea, particularly the Spratlys, it still shows its indirect claim and demand on the area. This is merely due to its plan of re-establishing its military forces in the Southeast Asia. Additionally, the U.S. is threatened by the rising power of China.

The Japan’s interest mainly lies upon the concern of keeping the South China Sea safe and open for traders because majority of the country’s dealings are shipped through these waters. Extending this interest, Japan is also concerned with the possible consequences over the Senkaku/Diaoyutai islands dispute between itself and China. In fact, in February 1992, Japan protested against China’s enactment of a law that encompassed the islands.

Like the Philippines, Japan has a security arrangement with the U.S., which allows U.S. troops to post in Japan for quick deployments to flashpoints in the area.

The Russia, same as the United States, will more or less play a safe role in this dispute. It will be primarily interested in preventing China or Japan from the claim in order to avoid these two countries from being a dominant power in the Southeast Asia. Russia will focus on its economic development by means of its trade with the growing Asian market.

In general, the whole South China Sea is in center of the eyes of the countries that is into the mission of claiming the area. These claims are all about the ownership of the islands, rocks, reefs and cays of the South China Sea or what is referred as the sovereignty issue. Another would be about the privilege to exercise the rights over the ocean and its resources or as well called the dispute on maritime jurisdiction.

In other words, economic and political advantages can be enjoyed by whoever establishes rule over the islands

Looking in the economic side of having the Spratlys, it is speculated that the group of islands holds oil deposits and natural gases. These sources of power are very important and significant to the claimants for they have a growing and active economy that is in need of higher energy requirement. Nevertheless, all of the said energy resources within the Spratlys are really untapped and unproven. China and the United States are the only countries that had studied such resources. However, even the results gathered by the two countries hardly matched. It is only assumed to have deposits because there were tapped oil reserves in the adjacent countries surrounding the Spratlys.

Another economic feature of the group of islands is the fact that the Spratlys is located within the center of the South China Sea and it straddles one of the most active sea lanes of communication or the SLOC. This SLOC serves as the window for the countries in the South and East Asia to communicate with the insular countries of the Far East. It is also an actuality that more than half of the world’s annual merchant fleet tonnage passes through the Straits of Malacca, Sunda, and Lombok with the majority continuing on into the South China Sea. The value of these is that almost all shipping that passes through Malacca and Sunda Straits must pass near the Spratly Islands. Any country that establishes control over the Spratly Islands could make the area a sort of a gate to all traders. Thus, whoever establishes domination over the group of islands can use it to harass and control the shipping lanes in the area.

Going into the geopolitical features of the Spratlys, it can basically give an additional area that could be a venue for expansion or protection. It can serve as a venue of expanding the military force for example. On the other hand, it can serve as a protection for the country sovereignty.

The Philippines needs to claim the Spratlys in order to have access to maritime living and non-living resources within the area. As an example of the living resources, the exploitation of the Philippines in the Kalayaan Island Group continued to a source of food for domestic consumption as well as exports. On the other hand, oil, minerals and hydrocarbons are necessary to be able to lessen the country’s dependence on the Middle East for oil supply.

Geopolitical wise, the Philippines must possess the KIG or the Kalayaan Island Group to ensure the countries political-security. The KIG as part of the national territory as defined by the Constitution of the Philippines is very detrimental to the country if ever foreign occupation will occur. Historically, these islands were once a staging point for Japanese invasion of the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia in World War II. The Japanese used some islands of the Spratlys as refueling stations and submarine bases that served the Japanese fleet operating against the three countries. Particularly, the Itu Aba was used as a construction area when its forces bomb the Pearl Harbor together with the attack on the Southeast Asia. Likewise, any foreign military forces present in the area, such as what happened in 1988 between the Chinese and the Vietnamese, could increase the threat to the Philippines and the Filipinos operating in the area. Lastly, illegal smuggling, illegal fishing and other illegal maritime interests can be prevented if the Philippines establish its rule over group of islands, particularly the KIG.

The United States, a world power, is merely an observer to this Spratlys Dispute. In fact, it announced its hands-off policy regarding the issue and stressed that the dispute must be resolved through peaceful means and that there must be that maintenance of freedom of navigation within the area.

In November 1992, Admiral Charles Larson, the Commander-in-Chief of the US Pacific Command or CINPAC emphasized that the U.S. will not support any country regarding their claim on the Spratlys. According to him, the dispute can and must be resolved through diplomatic and peaceful means.

In contrary, the former US Ambassador to the Philippines Richard Solomon stated that the U.S. is ready to defend the Philippines. However, it was as well stated that the U.S. has a limit in what it can do regarding the Spratlys issue.

The U.S. maintains its unbiased image in the South East Asia in order to prevent a power vacuum or an arms race in the area.

However, in the case of the Philippines, the U.S. announced its support to the Filipinos in order for the Philippine government to allow the approval of the VFA or the Visiting Forces Agreement. It was merely part the underground plan of the powerful country to rebuild or re-establish its presence in the country. Historically, it was in the 1990s that the U.S. military troops lost its strength in the Southeast Asia due to some closure of its bases. With the threat of the rising power of China, it is about time for the U.S. to move and start bringing its troops within the area.

The Spratly group of islands is merely a treasure for all the countries claiming for it, especially the six major Asian claimants. The claimants basically based their demands on history or geography. They search for the rule over these islands to be able to exploit the living and non-living resources within it that will surely be beneficial to the country in terms of economic and geopolitical advancement. The economic features of the Spratlys, with the speculation of oil deposits and proven active trading routes, are definitely sources of power in terms of and energy and power in the concept of world power. Additionally, the geopolitical features of the group of islands will as well give any countries the leverage to expand its territorial area that can be used for development within the country. A huge development with the rule over the Spratlys would possibly be in terms of military development for this growth will eventually lead to bigger power growth.

On the other hand, the other claimants of the Spratlys, especially the foreign countries like the U.S. and Russia are only interested in the Spratlys’ features secondarily. Its primary interest is to hamper the growth of any possible prospect to be a world power. As these two countries considered themselves as world powers, it is rational to assume that they would not let any country to develop as a threat to their supremacy. These interests will be pursued through their allies. For example, in the case of the U.S., it uses its ties with the Philippines and other Asian countries to re-establish its military troops within the area. The VFA and the BALIKATAN are only few of the Phil-American activities that serve as a bridge for the American troops to reach the area. Similarly, the U.S. also maintains its ties with the main land China, a big threat to the world power’s authority, through the One-China Policy and the Taiwan in order to maintain its supremacy for the reason that China serves as a political power source, while Taiwan is an economic power source. Of all the countries involved in the dispute, China is the only country that can shatter the U.S. when it comes to power. For that reason, U.S. will surely stagnate the growth of power of China in all means.

In conclusion, it can be observed that the Spratlys issue is indeed a never-ending fight between countries with different agenda behind their visible claim. As usual, counties with enough strength and power to sustain its quest and demand are the only possible countries that can rule over the valuable Spratly Islands.