Vietnam and the Philippines need to talk. The countries have overlapping claims in the South China Sea. Both are willing to try diplomacy—but will China’s aggression and strong-arm tactics thwart the dialogue?
The South China Sea (SCS) is part of the Pacific Ocean. It’s surrounded by mainland China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Taiwan. Most of those countries lay claim to one or more of the hundreds of small islands in the area. These include the Spratly Islands, the Paracel Islands, and the Indonesian Natuna Islands.
SCS waters provide a vital transportation link for all of Asia. According to experts, at least one-third of all global shipping passes through the South China Sea. The waterway is also full of God’s resources: rich fishing waters, oil and gas reserves, and more. No wonder multiple countries want to claim it!
A 1982 United Nations treaty helps define underwater laws. It says a coastal country has the sole right to use resources in its continental shelf—the stretch of seabed that can extend up to about 400 miles from a country’s shore.
The Philippine government asked a UN body to formally recognize its right to the continental seabed extending from its western coast outward to the South China Sea. If granted, that would give Manila the exclusive right to undersea resources on its shelf.
Here’s the rub: The shelf claimed by the Philippines may overlap with land claimed by other countries. Vietnam is one such nation. China is another.
Vietnam Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson Pham Thu Hang says nations need to respect the rights and interests of other nations. Still, her country “stays ready to discuss with the Philippines to seek and achieve a solution that is mutually beneficial,” she says.
While some countries are willing to talk rights and boundaries in the SCS, China claims almost the entire area. China relies heavily on exports through the debated waterway—to the tune of $874 billion per year! It sees every atoll, island, reef, shelf, and skerry (reef or rocky isle) as a battleground.
Hostilities and tensions in the disputed waters have escalated, especially between China and the Philippines. Chinese vessels use powerful water cannons and dangerous blocking maneuvers against Philippine coast guard ships and navy boats.
Indonesia has also experienced conflicts with China on the fringes of the SCS.
It may matter little what Vietnam, the Philippines, or the United Nations decide. Beijing rejects the notion that anyone else has rights in the area—and continues to defy rulings to the contrary.
Why? International laws exist to protect resources and various nations’ interests without overstepping. But not all nations agree.
