Tension in South China Sea

11/24/2015 5:12:50 AM

(MENAFN- The Peninsula) As a superpower China has a duty to refrain from actions that will ratchet up tension in the region.

China’s statement yesterday that it would continue to build military and civilian facilities on its artificial islands in the disputed South China Sea shows there is no immediate solution in sight to this dispute. Beijing’s reiteration of its stance comes as friction over its island-building continues to mount. The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit held this week which was attended by US President Barack Obama and several heads of state too failed to make any progress in resolving the row. One of the reasons for the stalemate is China’s refusal to discuss the issue in international talks or accept a third-party mediation.

The South China Sea is too important for this row to be allowed to fester. A free flow of navigation through these waters is vital for world trade because this is the channel for some $5 trillion in annual trade and China’s claim to “indisputable sovereignty” to over 90 percent of the sea is the root cause of the problem.

China rejects the notion that it is militarising the disputed waters. According to Beijing it is planning to “expand and upgrade” the civilian facilities on the islands “to better serve commercial ships fishermen to help distressed vessels and provide more public services – all actions which should be considered “peaceful”.

Speaking in Manila on Wednesday Obama strongly reiterated a call for China to halt construction and military activities in and around the disputed sea. He also said the

US would continue to assert its freedom of navigation rights in the sea. But his call was immediately dismissed. China’s top admiral Wu Shengli said his forces had shown “enormous restraint” in the face of American provocations and were ready to “defend national sovereignty” in case of repetition. This and some other statements made by Chinese officials were some of the most forceful explanations that Beijing has given regarding its position on the South China Sea.

Washington is increasingly asserting its power in the region but China remains unfazed but US support will definitely boost the confidence of countries which are in dispute with China. For example the US will provide $259m in aid to ensure maritime security in the Asia-Pacific region over the next two years. Those funds will be concentrated in the Philippines Vietnam Indonesia and Malaysia. Part of that aid will go to Philippines in the form of two military vessels.

A solution to the crisis is possible only if China is willing to make concessions. As a superpower in the region it has a duty to protect its neighbours and refrain from actions that will ratchet up tension.

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