Overfishing and destructive practices such as dynamite and cyanide fishing primarily contribute to this depletion. Leigh Hartman. Along the northwest side of the basin toward the mainland is a broad, shallow shelf as wide as 150 miles (240 km). People depend upon the natural resources of South China Sea nations, and scientists should work together to understand how overfishing, coral reef destruction and . Increasing popularity and high levels of market volatility have raised the stakes of the digital asset experiment. The metals are important because they provide critical components in next generation technology; everythingfrom hybrid cars to flat screen TVs to top-of-the-line smart phones have rare earth metal elements. He condemned Beijing's "campaign of bullying to control" disputed waters that are potentially energy-rich. On maps, China depicts its claims with a "nine-dash line" (see Figure An EEZ spans outward 200 nautical miles from the coast of the each states territorial sea, and may include the continental shelf beyond the 200-mile limit. China has plans to develop methane hydrate into a possible energy resource and will begin testing extraction technology in 2017, but there is no guarantee this will work. And with Farm Bill negotiations about to start in earnest, its important to explore how innovation in agricultureincluding advances in biotech, animal husbandry, soil and nutrient management, and morecan help agriculture adapt to climate change and reduce emissions. As Tommy Koh, a senior Singaporean diplomat who led negotiations to create the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, told me, "the South China Sea is about law, power, and resources . But with the US and China circling the possibility of a showdown, there is a risk of a regional diplomatic crisis that spans further than just the Spratlys. The South China Sea is also a major destination for LNG exports. Harry and Meghan told to 'vacate' Frogmore Cottage, Whiskey fungus forces Jack Daniels to stop construction, UN to ignore remarks of India guru's fictional country, Aboriginal spears taken in 1770 to return to Sydney, Explosive found in check-in luggage at US airport, Messages reveal battle over Covid school policy, Rare Jurassic-era bug found at Arkansas Walmart. Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), are responsible for developing South China Sea's resources. China, which has been building military bases on artificial islands in the area for years, said the US "deliberately distorts facts and international law". International arguments can deter investors. Beijing warned that it would firmly oppose any breach of sovereignty by the US Navy and that it would be a "grave mistake for the United States to use military means to challenge China". The South China Sea disputes continue to confuse and confound policymakers. Backgrounder It is bounded on the northeast by the Taiwan Strait (by which it is connected to the East China Sea); on the east by Taiwan and the Philippines; on the southeast and south by Borneo, the southern limit of the Gulf of Thailand, and the east coast of the Malay Peninsula; and on the west and north by the Asian mainland. The South China Sea is the largest marginal sea of the western Pacific. ASEAN countries have contested this boundary, but China has insisted on the historical legitimacy of the line based on survey expeditions, fishing activities, and naval patrols dating as far back as the fifteenth century, putting it at odds with the boundaries UNCLOS has enforced for the region since 1994. There are roughly half a billion people who live within 100 miles of the South China Sea coastline, and the volume of shipping through its waters has skyrocketed as China and ASEAN nations increase international trade and oil imports. Philippine exports of fisheries products to China and the Hong Kong SAR have grown rapidly over the past five years, from $49 million in 2009 to almost $129 million in 2013 - an average annual . The countries involved may disagree to the point of military intervention, which is unattractive for prospective investor companies despite the potentially massive reserves available. ..Find out more, Clean Car Standards and National Security, The clean energy transition and strong clean car standards have several benefits for public health and the environment, but also have implications for national security. The region also is the subject of more than a dozen overlapping and interconnected disputes over who is in charge of the various islands, rocks, shoals and reefs scattered throughout the South China Sea waters. However, oil development has remained a highly contentious issue, as both Vietnam and the Philippines have gone ahead with gas exploration projects [PDF] with foreign companies in disputed areas. It is also studded with numerous islets, atolls and reefs many of which are just awash at low tide. In the most recent clash, the Philippines naval forces intercepted eight Chinese fishing vessels in the Scarborough Shoal in April 2012, finding what they viewed as illegally fished marine life on board. ", "Experts are convinced that the disputed areas of the South China Sea actually contain relatively little oil and gas. Nationalism has also fueled many of these stalemates. Zoom in and out with the + and buttons, move around the map by clicking and dragging, and use the menu to toggle the oil and gas licensing blocks and claims of each country. 2009 China issues two diplomatic notes that appear to claim a majority of the South China Sea. https://www.britannica.com/place/South-China-Sea, The Sasakawa Peace Foundation - Review of Island Studies - The Problems in the South China Sea, Marcos: China laser not enough to activate US defense pact, US renews warning it'll defend Philippines after China spat, Philippines says China ship used laser against coast guard, US holds drills in South China Sea amid tensions with China, US, Philippines agree on larger American military presence. You are also agreeing to our. Persistent building has caught the attention of the US. Some 1 million to 60 million years ago, it rifted and then collapsed as a result of seafloor spreading. February 22, 2023, Article All the countries bordering directly on this sea - China, Vietnam, Taiwan, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Brunei - have claimed some or all of the tiny, but strategically located, Spratly Islets and some or all of the maritime space and its resources. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Surrounding countries however have emerging energy markets, which could derive greater benefit from exploiting the Spratlys for oil and gas. Regional fisheries in the South China Sea are estimated to generate $100 billion annually, supporting the livelihoods of around 3.7 million people, which the report says will be at risk. Thats why the United States has urged countries to resolve maritime claim disputes peacefully and in accordance with international law. According to some estimates however, 40% of the stocks are collapsed or overexploited and 70% of the coral reefs are heavily depleted. China also has repeatedly rejected the mechanisms for arbitration provided by the UN. From an environmental perspective, methane is also a potent greenhouse gas, 30 times more damaging in terms of climate change than CO2. Ships are commonly involved in naval disputes, as exhibited in the Scarborough Shoal incident in April when the Philippines said its largest warshipacquired from the United Stateshad a standoff with Chinese surveillance vessels after the ship attempted to arrest Chinese fishermen but was blocked by the surveillance craft. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Introduction. What might happen next in the South China Sea? Chinas militarization and territorial expansion in the South China Sea is illegal and dangerous, Vice President Pence said at the East Asia Summit last year. "No approaching any more or you will pay full responsibility," a voice from a Chinese air force ground station told a U.S. Navy P-8 flying outside of . Sign up to receive ShareAmerica updates. It may not be worth the money and effort on China's part to be concerned about the Spratly islands if there are not vast reserves to cover the country's massive energy demands for more than a few years. Mr Pompeo denounced China's claims on the disputed Spratly Islands. The region has also seen increased militarization in response to Chinas burgeoning power, raising the stakes of a potential armed conflict and making disputes more difficult to resolve. Unlike the United States and EU, which are engaged in other regions of the world, the Southeast Asian countries are compelled to spend more protecting their most immediate interests. The South China Sea is a strategic marine area in terms of natural resource potential and international trade routes. The deep portion, called the China Sea Basin, has a maximum depth of 16,457 feet (5,016 metres) and an abyssal plain with a mean depth of some 14,100 feet (4,300 metres). 1982 More than 160 nations conclude the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, an international treaty setting out the framework governing the oceans and their uses. Major marine species include hairtail, chub mackerel, black scraper, anchovy, shrimps, crabs and smaller fishes. Countries have ownership over the 12 nautical miles off the coast of 'real' islands, which is known as their Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). A fisherman repairs his boat in a file photo from April 2015 showing the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, at Masinloc, Zambales, in the Philippines . The South China Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean.It is bounded in the north by the shores of South China (hence the name), in the west by the Indochinese Peninsula, in the east by the islands of Taiwan and northwestern Philippines (mainly Luzon, Mindoro and Palawan), and in the south by Borneo, eastern Sumatra and the Bangka Belitung Islands, encompassing an area of around . The outcome of the struggle could shape the worlds tech landscape for years to come. There is a weak countercurrent on the eastern side of the sea. American Security Project, Few industries are more attuned toand dependent onthe weather than farming. This is a huge sum, and if true, would be the equivalent of about 80 percent of the oil reserves of Saudi Arabia. Geography of the South China Sea The maps show the South China Sea, an arm of the western Pacific Ocean in Southeast Asia, south of China, east and south of Vietnam, west of the Philippines and north of the island of Borneo. The US has previously accused China of militarising the South China Sea (file photo), Significant risks with seemingly insignificant islands. This was despite protests . While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Monsoons control the sea-surface currents as well as the exchange of water between the South China Sea and adjacent bodies of water. February 2, 2023. The row affected Vietnams stock markets, which plunged after the incident. In winter the general surface temperature is cooler, ranging from about 70 F (21 C) in the north to 81 F (27 C) in the south. In such a complex environment, it is important to have well-established, recognizable rules of international law. All of CNOOC's estimates are higher at 125 billion barrels of oil and 500 trillion cubic feet of gas. David Rosenbergs article [PDF] for the Harvard Asia Quarterly delves into what's at risk in the South China Sea, including the region's resources profiles, shipping lanes and fisheries. According to the World Bank, the South China Sea holds proven oil reserves of at least seven billion barrels and an estimated 900 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, which offer tremendous economic opportunity for smaller nations like Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam, and energy security for Chinas large, growing economy. The seas major feature is a deep rhombus-shaped basin in the eastern part, with reef-studded shoals rising up steeply within the basin to the south (Reed and Tizard banks and the Nanshan Island area) and northwest (Paracel Islands and Macclesfield banks). Before now, the US had not taken sides on territorial disputes in the South China Sea. June 17, 2022. Beijings estimates for hydrocarbon resources under the sea are considerably higher but still modest in relation to Chinas overall demandthe countrys oil consumption in 2018 is expected to top 12.8 million barrels per day. In early summer, wind from the southwest not only moves the surface water to the northeast but causes it to be displaced off the coast. Jan 28, 2022 Kent Harrington. One year in, the war in Ukraine shows no sign of ending. Four years after an international tribunal in The Hague ruled that China's claims in the region had no legal basis, the US has for the first time officially made its stance clear. Here is a spectrum of scenarios for the South China Sea in 2021, ranging from the worst to the best - and including the most likely. As early as the 1970s, countries began to claim islands and various zones in the South China Sea, such as the Spratly Islands, which possess rich natural resources and fishing areas. 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