South China Sea: Importance and Resources

• The South China Sea is a critical international waterway through which approximately $5.3 trillion USD in ship-borne goods pass annually.
• China, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan rely on the South China Sea for maritime trade.
• Approximately 65% of South Korea's petroleum imports transit the South China Sea.
• Approximately 60% of Japan's and Taiwan's petroleum imports transit the South China Sea.
• Approximately 50% of China's petroleum imports transit the South China Sea.
• China constructed pipelines from Myanmar to Yunnan province in 2015 to reduce reliance on the Strait of Malacca.
• The South China Sea accounts for 12% of the annual global fish catch, despite comprising only 2.5% of the world's ocean surface.
• The Spratly Islands serve as a significant spawning ground for fish in the South China Sea, with currents dispersing eggs and larvae to various countries' coasts.
• Methane hydrates in the South China Sea are estimated to be more abundant than combined oil and gas reserves worldwide.
• China estimates its South China Sea methane hydrates could power its economy for at least 100 years.
• China, the US, Canada, and Japan possess the technology to extract methane hydrates.
• Small rocks in the South China Sea, even those barely above high tide, are considered territory, entitling the holder to a 12-nautical-mile territorial sea.

Territorial Seas

• Low-tide elevations can be used to establish baselines for measuring territorial waters, expanding the Philippines' territorial sea around Pagasa Island.
• China claims ownership of the South China Sea based on a historical narrative claiming 2000 years of continuous presence and exploitation of its resources.
• China created the nine-dash line map in 1947, but it was not internationally recognized until 2009.
• China submitted the nine-dash line map to the UN in 2009, sparking protests from multiple nations and added a tenth dash in 2013.
• Before WWII, China's southernmost territory was Hainan, and there was no Chinese military presence in the South China Sea's disputed areas.

China's Expansion

• Pre-World War II, Japan seized the Paracel Islands from France and Itu Aba Island, subsequently establishing a submarine base.
• In 1946, after Japan's defeat, China seized half of the Paracels and Itu Aba, with South Vietnam inheriting the other half of the Paracels.
• China seized the remaining half of the Paracel Islands from South Vietnam in 1974 during the Vietnam War.
• In 1987, China established a radar weather station on Fiery Cross Reef, later converting it to an air and naval base.
• In 1988, China seized Subi Reef from the Philippines and Johnson South Reef from Vietnam, resulting in casualties.
• In 1995, China seized Mischief Reef from the Philippines, followed by Scarborough Shoal in 2012 and Luconia Shoals from Malaysia in 2013.
• From 2015-2016, China constructed air and naval bases on seven features in the Spratly Islands through land reclamation and seized Sandy Cay from the Philippines in 2017.

China's Narratives

• China portrays itself and the Philippines as "very close neighbors" to justify its claims based on the nine-dash line.
• China highlights the short distances between its territory and Balabak Island (64 km), Bolinao, Pangasinan (70 km), and Matinloc Shrine (44 km).
• President Xi Jinping claimed that Zheng He visited Manila, Visayas, and Sulu over 600 years ago, but this is refuted by scholars.
• Zheng He likely visited central Vietnam, where the Champa kingdom was located and the South China Sea was historically known as the "Cham Sea" due to the Champa Kingdom's influence.
• The 1988 International Hydrographic Review and a 2018 National Geographic article confirm Zheng He did not reach the Philippines.

Itu Aba and Scarborough Shoal

• The key issue regarding Itu Aba is whether it can sustain its own human population, determining its entitlement to a territorial sea and EEZ of 200 nautical miles.
• The tribunal focused on natural conditions, determining that Itu Aba's thin topsoil and intermittent water supply make it a borderline case, concluding it is not naturally habitable.
• Itu Aba is only entitled to a 12-nautical-mile territorial sea and Scarborough Shoal lacks fresh water and vegetation, making it uninhabitable and only entitled to a 12-nautical-mile territorial sea.
• UNCLOS allows coastal states to claim up to 350 nautical miles, but China's claim extends beyond this, lacking legal basis.

Historical Maps

• Over 170 maps, including Chinese, Philippine, Southeast Asian, and European maps, were presented as evidence.
• The 1734 Murillo Velarde Map names Scarborough Shoal as "Panakot" and the Spratly Islands as "Los Bajos de Paragua," pre-dating Chinese or Vietnamese claims.
• King Philip V of Spain commissioned the Velarde Map defining Philippine territory, depicting Scarborough Shoal and the Spratly Islands.
• China's Atlas of Ancient Maps of China shows Hainan Island as its southernmost territory across several dynasties, from the Tang to the Qing.
• In 1932, France occupied the Paracel Islands, protested by China via a note verbale, declaring the Paracels as the southernmost extent of its territory.
• Chinese constitutions after the Qing Dynasty defined the country's territory as that of the former Qing Dynasty, which ended at Hainan Island.
• A 1938 map of "national humiliation" excluded the Spratly Islands and Scarborough Shoal, suggesting a lack of historical Chinese claim to these areas.
• The revised 1946 China Handbook claimed sovereignty over the Spratly Islands, acknowledging that these islands were contested.
• In 1947, China circulated an internal map featuring the nine-dash line, copying names from British charts, except for Scarborough Shoal.

Markers and Observatories

• Stone markers inscribed with dates such as "China was here in 1901" and "China was here in 1902" have been proven to be fabricated.
• Gusujin, commissioned by Kublai Khan, built 26 observatories on mainland China and one in the South China Sea, and its location is a point of contention.
• China initially claimed the observatory was located in the Paracel Islands, but more recently claims it was on Scarborough Shoal.
• The tribunal ruled that China never had historic rights in the South China Sea due to a lack of evidence supporting historical regulation or control of shipping and fishing in the area.

Treaties

• In 1898, Spain ceded the Philippines to the US for $20 million via the Treaty of Paris, but Scarborough Shoal and the Spratly Islands were outside the treaty lines.
• The Treaty of Washington clarified that all islands belonging to the Philippine archipelago were ceded, regardless of whether they were inside or outside the original treaty lines.
• The 1734 Pedro Murillo Velarde map serves as the frame of reference for determining Philippine territory under Spanish rule.
• The tribunal ruled that the Chinese nine-dash line had no legal effect, creating high seas and EEZs surrounding the islands, primarily belonging to the Philippines.
• The Philippines gained approximately 376,000 square kilometers of EEZ free from Chinese claims, larger than its total land area.
• Three features remain in dispute between the Philippines and China because the tribunal lacked jurisdiction over territorial issues.
• The Philippines possesses a vast maritime area including the territorial sea (12 nautical miles) and exclusive economic zone (EEZ, 200 nautical miles).

The South China Sea is a vital international waterway for trade, especially for China, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. It is a major route for petroleum imports and a significant fishing ground, accounting for a substantial portion of the global fish catch. The area also contains abundant methane hydrates.