Chinas colossal infrastructure investments may usher in a new era of trade and growth for economies in Asia and beyond. To assert its sovereignty over the area, the country has built more artificial islands in the past year than the neighbouring countries have built between them over the last four decades. by Lindsay Maizland total gas resources (as opposed to proved reserves) in the South China Sea would be almost 900 trillion cubic feet (Tcf). The South China Sea and the East China Sea together form the China Sea. This is an issue that doesnt make big headlines, but 1.5 billion people live there and rely heavily on fisheries for food and jobs, Rosenberg says. Ships are commonly involved in naval disputes, as exhibited in the Scarborough Shoal incident in April when the Philippines said its largest warshipacquired from the United Stateshad a standoff with Chinese surveillance vessels after the ship attempted to arrest Chinese fishermen but was blocked by the surveillance craft. Behind it all, its essentially the industrial revolution of Asia. As a result, upwelling areas having colder surface temperatures and higher nutrient content are found off central Vietnam. With access to methane hydrates, Taiwan could develop its own energy market further without relying so much on expensive imports. Weather in the sea is tropical and largely controlled by monsoons. 1982 More than 160 nations conclude the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, an international treaty setting out the framework governing the oceans and their uses. More than half of the worlds top ten shipping ports are also located in and around the South China Sea, according to the International Association of Ports and Harbors. Natural gas might be the most abundant and sought-after hydrocarbon resource in the South China Sea. At its narrowest it is 19 miles (31 km) wide and about 100 feet (30 metres) deep. One Chinese estimate for the entire SCS estimates natural gas reserves to be 2 quadrillion cubic feet, with the hope that Beijing can produce 15 billion cubic meters of LNG a year. Though total estimates vary, the region is thought to contain oil reserves of at least 7.7 billion proven barrels, with more optimistic estimates reaching as high as 213 billion barrels. Theres nothing like NATO in Asia, and thats whats worrisome, Rosenberg says. This year, satellite images have shown that China is building an airstrip in the Spratly Islands, as well as ports and a pair of lighthouses, which is contested by the neighbour countries. In these seemingly insignificant island chains and reefs, there are growing risks of military conflict between the world's two most powerful countries. US and Philippine officials also mentioned in the "Philippine-US Strategic Dialogue" in January that Su Beek Bay is a priority location for US-Philippines . The metals are important because they provide critical components in next generation technology; everythingfrom hybrid cars to flat screen TVs to top-of-the-line smart phones have rare earth metal elements. And the South China Sea has become the hub of that.. It is unknown why they are so different, but it could be so that China gets sufficient backing from its government to explore the area. The inner zone of mud is characteristic of the continental shelf near the Mekong and Red river deltas, while the sediment of the deeper parts of the South China Sea is mainly composed of clay. Countries that have a major influence on and claims to the sea include China, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam, although Thailand, Indonesia and Taiwan have some too. Smaller-scale fishing incidents have instead become the hub of maritime confrontation as declining fish stocks have driven fishermen farther into disputed areas to search for supply, as well as highly profitable illegal species. Though the availability of REMs in the South China Sea is still being determined, large deposits have recently been found just off Japans east coast, and China has previously used its virtual monopoly on the minerals to punish Japan in the Senkaku/Diaoyu island conflict. Vietnam and Malaysia have led regional military buildups and increased arms trade with countries like Russia and India, while the Philippines doubled its defense budget in 2011 and pledged five-year joint military exercises with the United States. The South China Sea is also a major destination for LNG exports. China issued a licence to survey WAB-21 for oil in 1992, despite the block being so far from its shores. Washington has recently criticised Beijing on issues ranging from its handling of the coronavirus pandemic, to human rights violations against Muslim minorities in Xinjiang and how it has dealt with pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong. A U.S. Navy plane recently flying over the South China Sea reportedly received an ominous radio warning from China before the country scrambled a jet to track the U.S. aircraft. The US has long been critical of what it says is China's militarisation of the region and routinely angers Beijing with "freedom of navigation" missions. In less than two years, China has turned seven reefs . by Richard Haass It is south of China, east & south of Vietnam, west of the Philippines and north of the island of Borneo. The Tribunal rejects Chinas maritime claims that go beyond the entitlements set out in the Law of the Sea Convention. The resources of the South China Sea, living and non-living, are rapidly being exploited by the people of the region, who are heavily concentrated along the coastline. Consequently, anthropogenic impacts, such as over-exploitation of resources and pollution, are anticipated to be huge although, in reality, relatively little is known about them. And the stakes in the region are incredibly high. Worse, China has refused to play any constructive role in solving . China's claim encroaches on the high seas, and on the EEZs and ECSs of the . To keep up with the economic growth of the country, Vietnam needs to satisfy energy requirements so that the electricity grid is not under constant strain. by James McBride, Noah Berman and Andrew Chatzky China was the first country to discover, name, explore and exploit the resources of the South China Sea Islands and the first to continuously exercise sovereign powers over them," the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote in December 2014. 1994 The Convention on the Law of the Sea goes into effect. As early as the 1970s, countries began to claim islands and various zones in the South China Sea, such as the Spratly Islands, which possess rich natural resources and fishing areas. Dock workers use cranes to off-load frozen tuna from a Chinese-owned cargo vessel at the General Santos Fish Port, in the Philippines . In 2013 the US Energy Information Administration estimated that the South China Sea contained resources equating to 11 billion barrels of oil and 190 trillion cubic feet of gas. Bordering states & territories (clockwise from north): the People's Republic of China, the Republic of China (Taiwan), the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia . Introduction: This study is first to apply d iagnostic analysis of the forecast tendencies to evaluate the simulation of equilibrium features in the South China Sea and its surrounding areas using The Tropical Regional Atmosphere (TRAMS) model, and further identify the sources of simulation biases of the model.Methods: On the basis of the quasi equilibrium between dynamic and physical . C.V. Starr & Co. In early summer, wind from the southwest not only moves the surface water to the northeast but causes it to be displaced off the coast. The United States and other Western countries are reevaluating their foreign investment regulations amid an uptick in Chinese interest in strategic sectors. The islands are mostly uninhabited and have never had an indigenous population, making the issue of historical sovereignty a thorny one to resolve. Stay Connected! ..Find out more, Clean Car Standards and National Security, The clean energy transition and strong clean car standards have several benefits for public health and the environment, but also have implications for national security. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. David Rosenbergs article [PDF] for the Harvard Asia Quarterly delves into what's at risk in the South China Sea, including the region's resources profiles, shipping lanes and fisheries. Vietnam sent its navy to stop the exploration and proceeded to dispatch an oil rig there, which China subsequently prevented. REUTERS/Erik De Castro Reuters. 40% of the stocks are collapsed or overexploited and 70% of the coral reefs are heavily depleted. ", "China will never allow any country to violate its terrestrial waters or airspace. September 1, 2020, 9:00 PM. An important new book shows that China's aggressive behavior in the South China Sea is not only creating regional tensions but also destroying the ecosystem upon which hundreds of millions of people rely. In spite of the focus on hydrocarbon reserves, some scholars suggest that disputes over fishing rights have emerged as a larger driver of conflict. American Security Project, Few industries are more attuned toand dependent onthe weather than farming. South China Sea is an arm of western Pacific Ocean in Southeast Asia. China, for example, has asserted a maritime claim to a large majority of the South China Sea that is not consistent with international law. But Beijing largely views U.N.-backed codes of maritime governance as incompatible with domestic laws, and has continued dredging projects on seven disputed . The sea is heavily fished, however, and is the main source of animal protein for the densely populated Southeast Asian area. As China has grown more powerful economically and militarily, it has looked to assert its dominance in everything from trade to international institutions like the United Nations. Analysts declared South China Sea is the hub of the resources (Fabinyi, 2015). The U.S. Geological Survey in 2012 estimated that there could be another 160 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and 12 billion barrels of oil undiscovered in the South China Sea. In 2013 the US Energy Information Administration estimated that the South China Sea contained resources equating to 11 billion barrels of oil and 190 trillion cubic feet of gas. Along the eastern side of the basin, the continental shelf falls off sharply near the Philippine islands of Luzon and Palawan and forms the Palawan Trough near the latter island. Philippine exports of fisheries products to China and the Hong Kong SAR have grown rapidly over the past five years, from $49 million in 2009 to almost $129 million in 2013 - an average annual . What might happen next in the South China Sea? Activities in the South China Sea The region is home to a wealth of natural resources, fisheries, trade routes, and military bases, all of which are at stake in the increasingly frequent diplomatic standoffs. Over the last 10 years, the conflict in the South China Sea has been constantly in the spotlight. State-owned oil company China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) says the South China Sea is one of its 'most important oil and gas producing areas due to its huge resource potential,' and that 'a number of important discoveries' have been made in the region so far. We are making clear: Beijing's claims to offshore resources across most of the South China Sea are completely unlawful, as is its campaign of bullying to control them. Explore the energy blocks of the South China Sea. The South China Sea is a strategically important sea. In a radio communication, the pilots were warned to leave the area "immediately" in order to "avoid any misunderstanding". However, many believe there to be a significant hydrocarbon prize in the region. CFRs Joshua Kurlantzick said in August 2012 that while ASEAN was an appropriate venue to mediate this dispute, the organization still has not yet found its footing in transitioning to a more forceful, integrated organization that can provide leadership. In a November 2012 IIGG working paper, Kurlantzick looked at how ASEAN could strengthen its role in the region to meet challenges such as the South China Sea. The U.S. Energy Information Agency estimates that the South China Sea holds about 190 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and 11 billion barrels of oil in proved and probable reserves, most of which lie along the margins of the South China Sea rather than under disputed islets and reefs. Zoom in and out with the + and buttons, move around the map by clicking and dragging, and use the menu to toggle the oil and gas licensing blocks and claims of each country. Author of. As with oil, estimates of the regions natural gas resources vary widely. 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