[HCARC] South China Sea Dispute

[W4wj at aol.com]

South China Sea dispute
Rival countries have squabbled over territory in the South China Sea for  
centuries - but a recent upsurge in tension has sparked concern that the area 
is  becoming a flashpoint with global consequences. 

What is the argument about? 
It is a dispute over territory and sovereignty over ocean areas and the  
Paracels and the Spratlys - two island chains claimed in whole or in part by a 
 number of countries. Alongside the fully fledged islands, there are dozens 
of  uninhabited rocky outcrops, atolls, sandbanks and reefs, such as the 
Scarborough  Shoal.  
Who claims what? 
China claims by far the largest portion of territory - an area stretching  
hundreds of miles south and east from its most southerly province of Hainan. 
 Beijing has said its right to the area come from 2,000 years of history 
where  the Paracel and Spratly island chains were regarded as integral parts 
of the  Chinese nation.  
In 1947 China _issued a map_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:1947_Nanhai_Zhudao.png)  detailing its claims. It showed the two island  groups falling 
entirely within its territory. Those claims are mirrored by  Taiwan, 
because the island considers itself the Republic of China and has the  same 
territorial claims. 
Vietnam hotly disputes China's historical account, saying China never 
claimed  sovereignty over the islands until the 1940s. Vietnam says both island 
chains  are entirely within its territory. It says it has actively ruled over 
both the  Paracels and the Spratlys since the 17th Century - and has the 
documents to  prove it. 
The other major claimant in the area is the Philippines, which invokes its  
geographical proximity to the Spratly Islands as the main basis of its 
_claim_ (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-13748349#)  for part of 
the grouping.  
Both the Philippines and China lay claim to the Scarborough Shoal (known as 
 Huangyan Island in China) - a little more than 100 miles (160km) from the  
Philippines and 500 miles from China. 
Malaysia and Brunei also lay claim to territory in the South China Sea that 
 they say falls within their _economic_ 
(http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-13748349#)  exclusion zones, as defined by the _United Nations 
Convention on the Law of the Sea_ 
(http://www.un.org/Depts/los/convention_agreements/convention_overview_convention.htm)  in 1982.  Brunei does not claim 
any of the disputed islands, but Malaysia claims a small  number of islands 
in the Spratlys. 
Why are so many countries so keen? 
The Paracels and the Spratlys may have vast reserves of natural resources  
around them. There has been little detailed exploration of the area, so  
estimates are largely extrapolated from the mineral wealth of neighbouring  
areas. 
Chinese officials have given the most optimistic estimates of resource 
wealth  in the area. According to _figures quoted by the US Energy Information 
Administration_ (http://www.eia.gov/countries/regions-topics.cfm?fips=SCS) ,  
one Chinese estimate puts possible oil reserves as high as 213 billion 
barrels -  10 times the proven reserves of the US. But American scientists have 
estimated  the amount of oil at 28 billion barrels.  
According to the EIA, the real wealth of the area may well be natural gas  
reserves. Estimates say the area holds about 900 trillion cubic ft (25 
trillion  cubic m) - the same as the proven reserves of Qatar. 
The area is also one of the region's main shipping lanes, and is home to a  
fishing ground that supplies the livelihoods of thousands of people. 
How much trouble does the dispute cause? 
The most serious trouble in recent decades has flared between Vietnam and  
China. The Chinese seized the Paracels from Vietnam in 1974, killing more 
than  70 Vietnamese troops. In 1988 the two sides clashed in the Spratlys, 
when  Vietnam again came off worse, losing about 60 sailors. 
The Philippines has also been involved in a number of minor skirmishes with 
 Chinese, Vietnamese and Malaysian forces. 
The most recent upsurge in tension has coincided with more muscular 
posturing  from China. Beijing officials have issued a number of strongly worded  
statements, including warning their rivals to stop any mineral exploration in 
 the area. 
The Philippines has accused China of building up its military presence in 
the  Spratlys. The two countries have engaged in a maritime stand-off, 
accusing each  other of intrusions in the Scarborough Shoal. Chinese and 
Philippine vessels  refuse to leave the area, and tension has flared, leading to 
rhetoric and  protests. 
Unverified claims that the Chinese navy deliberately sabotaged two 
Vietnamese  exploration operations has led to _large  anti-China protests_ 
(http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-13664408)  on the streets of Hanoi and 
Ho Chi Minh City.  
Vietnam _has  held live-fire exercises_ 
(http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-13745587)  off its coast - an action that was seen as a gross  
provocation by Beijing. 
Is anyone trying to resolve the row? 
Over the years, China has tended to favour arrangements negotiated behind  
closed doors with the individual leaders of other countries. But the other  
countries have pushed for international mediation.  
So in July 2010, when US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton became involved 
 in the debate and called for a binding code of conduct, China was not 
pleased.  The Chinese Foreign Ministry dismissed her suggestion as an attack on 
China. 
Agreements such as the UN's 1982 convention appeared to lay the framework 
for  a solution. But in practice, the convention led to more overlapping 
claims, and  did nothing to deter China and Vietnam in pressing their historical 
claims. 
Both the Philippines and Vietnam have made bilateral agreements with China, 
 putting in place codes of conduct in the area. But the agreements have 
made  little difference. 
The regional grouping Asean - whose membership includes all of the main  
players in the dispute except China and Taiwan - concluded a _code of conduct 
deal with China in 2002_ (http://www.aseansec.org/13163.htm) .  
Under the agreement, the countries agreed to "resolve their territorial and 
 jurisdictional disputes by peaceful means, without resorting to the threat 
or  use of force, through friendly consultations and negotiations". 
But recent events suggest that Vietnam and China at least have failed to  
stick to the spirit of that agreement. And Asean continues to discuss new 
ideas  for resolving the dispute.