Military Technology 05/2021

its own. The People’s Republic of China (PRC) has established its own boundaries that show that the South China Sea belongs to China, basing its claim on an obscure map and a ‘nine-dash line’ as proof positive that the SCS resources belong to it. However, a 2016 ruling by the International Court in the Hague, Netherlands, found that China’s claims of historical rights within the ‘nine- dash line’ were without any legal foundation. While the PRC spares no effort in claims, foreign navies have sought to refute them by means of ‘freedom of navigation’ operations, or FONOPS. The presence of foreign warships in what the rest of the world regards as international waters is seen (by China) as provocative and a threat to China’s influence. There is, of course, more than one geopolitical prize at stake here – if China was able to diminish the US as a stabilising influ- ence, it could assert itself more, which could impact countries such as Taiwan. “We certainly view with concern many of the actions that we’ve seen from Beijing,” Aquilino said, adding “I think what I view with most concern are certainly not the words, but the actions that we’ve seen.” Aquilino referred to China’s actions in Hong Kong, and its reneging on promises of autonomy guaranteed there under the 1997 agreement made with the British government at the time Britain handed the then colony back to the PRC, as an example of his concern. “Those actions were completely disconnected from the words for Beijing to adhere to the agreement that was in place,” he stated. “We see similar actions if you were to look at the border of India – we view that with concern. If you look at the actions associated with the Uyghurs in Xinjiang, and the violations of what we believe – the dignity and respect and human rights – that we view those actions with concern.” He added that China’s claims on the South China Sea interfere with the wellbeing and prosperity of all nations in the region. “We view with con- cern [China’s] unlawful claim to the entire South China Sea – directly and negatively impacting all of the countries in the region, from their livelihood, whether it be with fishing or access to natural resources […] It’s critically The South China Sea (SCS) is an important trade route and fisheries resource for the 10 nations that border it, and the many more coun- tries that depend on it for trade and resources. Through the busy South China Sea passes roughly one-third of the world’s trade. About 10% of the world’s annual fish harvest, worth some $5 trillion per annum, comes from these waters. According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, “The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) esti- mates that roughly 80% of global trade by volume and 70% by value is transported by sea. Of that volume, 60% of maritime trade passes through Asia, with the South China Sea carrying an estimated one-third of global shipping. Its waters are particularly critical for China, Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea, all of which rely on the Strait of Malacca, which connects the South China Sea and, by extension, the Pacific Ocean, with the Indian Ocean. As the second-largest economy in the world, with over 60% of its trade in value traveling by sea, China’s economic security is closely tied to the South China Sea.” Speaking at a recent Aspen Security Forum, Adm John C Aquilino, commander of US Indo-Pacific Command, commented “The prosperity of all depends on continued free access to the waters there.” According to DoD’s 2020 Annual Freedom of Navigation Report to Congress , “ Unlawful and sweeping maritime claims – or incoherent legal theories of maritime entitlement – that are inconsistent with international law, pose a threat to the legal foundation of the rules-based international order.” Consequently, the United States is “committed to confronting this threat by challenging excessive maritime claims,” the report states. Revisionist History Not all nations adhere to this principle, however. While the South China Sea is a vital lifeline for both China and its neighbours, China sees it as Edward Lundquist FONOPS in the South China Sea Nations Counter China’s Excessive and Illegitimate Maritime Claims The ARLEIGH BURKE-class guided-missile destroyer USS BENFOLD (DDG 65) sails through the South China Sea while conducting routine underway operations. BENFOLD is forward-deployed to the US 7th Fleet area of operations in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific. (All photos US DoD unless otherwise stated) 64 · MT 5/2021 From the Bridge