By: Prajwal V Shylan
The author is a second-year bachelor’s student at Jindal School of International Affairs. He can be reached at 23jsia-pshylan@jgu.edu.in.
Image Source: Britannica Encyclopaedia
Introduction
Vietnam condemned China for the attacks on the Vietnamese fishermen by Chinese law enforcement personnel on October 3rd near the Paracel island, which is part of the larger Spratly Island in the South China Sea. The fishermen reported an assault near the Chinese-controlled island by radio on 29th September. Vietnamese local media Tien Phong reported the injuries of the fishermen onboard, with three of them suffering from broken limbs and seven suffering minor injuries. The fishermen were taken to a hospital in Quang Ngai province. The fishermen cited those two foreign boats approaching them from the rear. The personnel from the vessels boarded their ship and started beating the fishermen with a meter-long pole, which was made of iron. The fishermen panicked and did not respond because they were outnumbered by 40 attackers and were ordered to sail back to Vietnam and went on to seize their fishing gear and the catch. Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs raised concerns about violating Vietnam’s sovereignty in the high seas on Paracel Island.
They also issued statements regarding international laws and statutes agreed by the leaders of both sides in resolving maritime disputes in the South China Sea. Vietnamese officials also organised a diplomatic protest over the incident in Hanoi. They also summoned the Chinese Ambassador, He Wei, and urged Beijing to respect its sovereignty and maritime boundary in the Paracel island. They also demanded that Beijing launch an investigation and provide information about this attack. The Chinese side responded that the Vietnamese boats had been fishing illegally on Paracel island without Beijing’s permission, and the Chinese authorities had taken measures to stop them.
The United States has a significant naval presence in the region through its freedom of navigation and overflight. The State Department stated that the “US is deeply concerned by the reports of dangerous actions by Chinese law enforcement vessels against Vietnamese fishing vessels around the Paracel Island on September 29. We call on China to desist from dangerous and destabilising conduct from the South China Sea” i. A similar instance took place in the Philippines when the Chinese navy intruded on the Sabina shoal, a coast on the enclave of the Philippines in the South China Sea. These instances seriously opposed Chinese incursions by Southeast Asian countries in the South China Sea.
Historical and geopolitical context
Paracel Island is approximately 400 kilometres (250 miles) off the coast of Vietnam, which is the same distance from the Chinese province of Hainan and is part of the larger group of islands known as the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. It is situated in a major maritime hub that connects the Pacific Ocean to the Indian Ocean and receives a daily traffic of nearly 5 trillion dollars' worth of shipments passing through this waterway. The ocean floor is also abundant with oil and natural gases, and larger marine resources take up 30% of the entire marine life in the world. This water body is claimed in its entirety by China stating, its historical rights over the water body along with Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, Philippines, and Taiwan. The island has been under dispute with China having de facto authority over the island, which was seized in a naval conflict from Vietnam in 1974. The satellite imagery showed that the Chinese Navy developed reefs in the Spratly Archipelagos over time into islands that house various military assets like radio stations, airstrips, and military bases. The recent time the Chinese appeared to be building an airstrip on Triton Island on Paracel Island.
The legal aspect
According to the International Law on Maritime or UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas), a country can claim an exclusive economic zone of 200 nautical miles (approx. 230 miles) from the coastline, which allows them to extract and exploit the resources that come under it. However, due to the overlapping claims by countries surrounding it claiming the resources of the South China Sea and utilising them of their own volition, it has entered a phase of a divided Southeast Asian neighbourhood with China claiming most of it through the historical nine-dash lines.
The renewed aggression is believed to be a new strategy under the current Chinese administration of Xi Jinping to revamp the strategic interests of China in pursuing an active maritime role in the South China Sea in securing vital strategic points and chokepoints that directly come in the transit of major international shipping lanes. The countries surrounding the South China Sea have approached to counter this attempt in various ways, such as filing complaints in the International Criminal Court of Justice against China and joint patrolling and naval exercises with the United States Navy in the South China Sea. This has led to diplomatic hedging by the US and China in Southeast Asia, with countries drawn to support either side and causing heightened diplomatic pressure in the region.
Conclusion
The recent truffle has led to the redressal of the Chinese proactiveness and aggression in the South China Sea at the ASEAN Summit. The repercussions of deciding on an everlasting solution are necessary to address the issues that nations face in this region, which is abundant with resources and marine life and serves as an economic medium for the populations of this region. Thus, the stakeholders need to be deliberate about the various sentiments and interests tied to this region.
Bibliography
Dinh, H. (2024, October 4). Vietnam condemns China for assault on its fishermen in the disputed South China Sea | AP News. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/china-vietnam-paracel-south-china-sea-d86889dd2fda73499602951ef3056d32 (accessed on oct 11,2024)
Dinh, H., & Rising, D. (2024, September 30). Crew of Vietnamese fishing boat injured in an attack in the South China Sea, state media say | AP News. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/vietnam-south-china-sea-boat-attack-paracel-4178b8a4c5f430834b77dbf4ca1ab5dc
(accessed on oct 11,2024)
Guinto, T. W. a. J. (2024, August 30). Sabina Shoal: The new China-Philippines flashpoint in the South China Sea. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp3d4rz922do
(accessed on oct 11,2024)
The views expressed in this article are those of the author (s). They do not reflect the views or opinions of Diplomania or its members.
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