Rising Tensions in the South China Sea
June 21, 2011The South China Sea is a region rich in largely unexploited reserves of oil and natural gas. In addition to the resource reserves, it is a strategically vital shipping lane, as most of the oil for the thirsty East Asian economies must transit from the Persian Gulf through the South China Sea.
The SCS encompasses a vast area stretching from Taiwan in the northeast to Singapore in the southwest. It is peppered with hundreds of tiny islets and rock outcroppings which are variously claimed as sovereign territory by the nations bordering the seas (China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Philippines, and Malaysia.
For two decades, China has had numerous disputes with the other nations in the region over its claims to the region. In recent weeks, both Vietnam and the Philippines have had naval responses to what they see as Chinese provocations. Last week, the National Bureau for Asian Research posted an interview about the rising tensions in the region. The interview of NBR regional expert Ian Story was conducted by Tim Cook, director of the NBR’s Maritime Energy Resources project. Read the interview, but also read the excellent reports from the NBR that are also linked on that page
[...] This report from the Wall Street Journal (subscription required) updates the latest in disputes over oil rights in the South China Sea (see recent EGP post on the SCS here). [...]
[...] This is not the first run-in between China and India over the South China Sea – last summer, a Chinese naval vessel confronted an Indian navy ship in Vietnamese waters, and just two weeks ago, China issued a formal warning to all nations that it considered the SCS its “indisputable” property. China also had brief naval run-ins with both Vietnam and Philippines this summer. [...]