The Spratly Islands are a group of more than 750 reefs, islets, atolls, cays and islands in the South China Sea. The archipelago lies off the coasts of the Philippines and Malaysia (Sabah), about one third of the way from there to southern Vietnam. They comprise less than four square kilometers of land area spread over more than 425,000 square kilometers of sea. The Spratlys are one of three archipelagos of the South China Sea which comprise more than 30,000 islands and reefs and which complicate governance and economics in that region of Southeast Asia. Such small and remote islands have little economic value in themselves, but are important in establishing international boundaries. There are no native islanders but there are rich fishing grounds and initial surveys indicate the islands may contain significant reserves of oil and natural gas.
About 45 islands are occupied by relatively small numbers of military forces from Vietnam, the People's Republic of China, the Republic of China (Taiwan), Malaysia and the Philippines. Brunei has also claimed an Exclusive Economic Zone in the southeastern part of the Spratlys encompassing just one area of small islands above mean high water (on Louisa Reef.)
About 45 islands are occupied by relatively small numbers of military forces from Vietnam, the People's Republic of China, the Republic of China (Taiwan), Malaysia and the Philippines. Brunei has also claimed an Exclusive Economic Zone in the southeastern part of the Spratlys encompassing just one area of small islands above mean high water (on Louisa Reef.)
China's "9-dash Line":
China, world’s third-largest country by area (after Russia and Canada) and the largest by population, being a Super Power in the East is bullying it's neighbors in the South East Asian region staking claim to the Spratly Islands and the Paracel Islands.China created the "9-dash line" territorial claim over the whole of the South China Sea, which I personally find as very a very arrogant claim. The map is called “9-dash line" or “9-dotted line" because it shows a series of nine dashes or dotted lines forming a ring around the South China Sea area, which China claims is part of its territory. China must remember that the whole of South China Sea is not theirs because it simply contains the word China in its name, we Pinoys named it as West Philippine Sea, South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean and is the dominant term used in English for this sea. Could we Pinoys also create our own "9-dash line" map staking claim to all of West Philippine Sea is ours? Nah, we'll never do that! In fact we're not even claiming to own all of the Spratlys Island but only those part that is obviously within the 200-nautical-mile-exclusive economic zones as stated in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Well, I'll never wonder that China may claim in the future that it owns the world. Why? Every thing is now made in China, and China may soon claim that all things that have "China" on them is theirs, how disturbing! It's what we Pinoys call "barubalan na!". CHINA MUST SIMPLY BACK DOWN!
Why China Has To Back Down:
So how can we get a resolution to this dilemma? As one Philippine lawmaker puts it: "The appropriate way to solve the issue is through multilateral negotiations involving all parties with claims to the area. The UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea) established the principle of countries having 200-nautical-mile-exclusive economic zones, and where these intersect and where there are disputed areas, multilateral negotiations are the only viable solution where there are several claimants. This is a very reasonable position. Yet China refuses this solution, and instead tries to resolve matters unilaterally by making incursions into the 200-nautical-mile-EEZs (Exclusive Economic Zones) of other countries, or building structures in those areas, as in some parts of the Spratly Islands that are in the EEZ of the Philippines. For instance, Mischief Reef (Panganiban Reef), which China occupied over Philippine objections, is well within the 200 mile EEZs of the Philippines and over 1,000 miles from the Chinese coast. Moreover, China has formally staked a claim to the whole Sea, right down to the 24 nautical mile contiguous zones or 12-nautical mile-territorial limits of other countries in the area, completely disregarding the others’ EEZs and the fact that the waters and islands China is claiming are several hundred or even a thousand or more nautical miles beyond territorial border. This is Big Power behavior, and here China is unfortunately emulating the example of the European colonizers and the United States." CHINA MUST SIMPLY BACK DOWN!
But as China started to build up their military presence in the South China Sea, I'm wondering if peaceful resolution will be achieved on the Spratly Islands issue. China may even already have submarines already deployed there as part of their effort to scare off neighboring countries in the South East Asian region staking claim to the Spratly Islands. I don't believe that dragging the United States in this issue will be helpful in finding peaceful resolution, we should find our own ways of resolving this ourselves. I also don't believe that the US will come in our aid if worst things will happen that China forces itself in Spratly Islands. We are on our own!
CHINA MUST SIMPLY BACK DOWN if it wants the respect of it's neighbors and the whole world. As Lao-Tzu said: "When you are content to be simply yourself and don’t compare or compete, everybody will respect you."
But as China started to build up their military presence in the South China Sea, I'm wondering if peaceful resolution will be achieved on the Spratly Islands issue. China may even already have submarines already deployed there as part of their effort to scare off neighboring countries in the South East Asian region staking claim to the Spratly Islands. I don't believe that dragging the United States in this issue will be helpful in finding peaceful resolution, we should find our own ways of resolving this ourselves. I also don't believe that the US will come in our aid if worst things will happen that China forces itself in Spratly Islands. We are on our own!
CHINA MUST SIMPLY BACK DOWN if it wants the respect of it's neighbors and the whole world. As Lao-Tzu said: "When you are content to be simply yourself and don’t compare or compete, everybody will respect you."
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