Chinese agency says "hidden trouble" in South China Sea becomes prominent

Text of report by Hong Kong-based news agency Zhongguo Tongxun She

Beijing, 13 July (ZTS) - The South China Sea issue has a long history. The Chinese government has long been engaged in resolving the issue in a peaceful manner and has tried hard to create peaceful and stable surroundings. The current overall situation in the South China Sea is comparatively stable. However, hidden problems have become prominent.

The most recent issue of "World Vision" cited the President of Hainan Research Institute for the South China Sea [HRISCS], saying that abundant natural resources in the South China Sea and the important strategic position of this sea as a maritime passage have made the South China Sea a point for heated competition for all prospective parties. The South China Sea dispute involves China and its neighbors in the region (such as Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei). However, countries beyond this area - such as the United States, Japan and India - have also actively engaged in the dispute. This area remains stable, yet influenced by multiple parties. Neighboring countries in the area follow a very clear strategy on the South China Sea issue: complicate the Nansha issue so as to force China between a rock and a hard place and make it impossible for China to resolve the issue immediately.

Natural resource development has made competition for South China Sea prominent.

"The Nansha dispute over the sovereignty of islands and the jurisdiction of the sea is, in essence, a collusion of strategic interests and competition for natural resources," said President Wu Shicun. Countries around the South China Sea have stepped up their exploration and development of oil and natural gas, have openly invited bidding, and have invited international oil companies to develop. Neighboring countries get at least 50 million tons of petroleum from the South China Sea per year, equal to the annual output of the Daqing Oilfield. Neighboring countries in the region have already divided the South China Sea among themselves - an area characterized by overlapping oilfields. These countries have continuously expanded their scope of exploration, the majority of which lies within China's traditional border.

International affairs specialist Prof. Feng Yongfu believes that China - as the large power in this area - should hold the dominant position in this area. China should not sit by and wait for foreign countries to execute plans for the joint development of resources. Instead, China should take the initiative to propose and execute a plan to demonstrate the presence of China in the Nanhai dispute, in the course of natural resource development in the South China Sea.

Attitudes of large powers deserve our attention.

Currently, all countries in the southeast but Indonesia-such as the Philippines, Malaysia and Vietnam - have set up special agencies to defend their marine rights and have even used military force to control neighboring sea areas. At the end of last year, the Indonesian government set up a special bureau of arrests within the Ministry of Maritime and Fisheries Affairs. This bureau was equipped with nearly 30 supervisory ships and with one rear admiral coordinating all sectors during operations. Vessels of this bureau have broken into China's traditional maritime territories many times to seize and suspend Chinese fishing boats. According to the International Herald Tribune, these countries arrested Chinese fisherman who were fishing there legally and released them; this has occurred repeatedly. This has actually demonstrated their control and jurisdiction over this maritime area; and represents a kind of sovereignty oath to their belief.

The attitude of large international powers such as the United States and Australia - deserves our great attention. According to the Kuala Lumpur Security Review, the chief of the defense force, Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, told the magazine that Australia's interest in the South China Sea lies in maintaining wider stability in this region, including the disputed Nansha Islands, so that this sea passage - which is also one of important global maritime passages - can continue to be open and in free use. US Defense Secretary Robert Gates recently said that the US position in the dispute over the sovereignty of the Nansha Islands is: "The United States does not have any position." However, the United States sent four Aegis-equipped warships to conduct a joint military practice session with Southeast Asian countries in the South China Sea, which has rarely happened before.

According to this magazine, the Malaysian stage of this practice session began in the last 10 days of June. During this stage, the United States sent 1,600 officers and soldiers, two Aegis-equipped warships - "Xiafei" [pinyin] and "Zhongyun" [pinyin] - P3C anti-submarine patrol airplanes as well as F/A-18 Hornet airplanes to the practice session. On 28 June, warships from the United States and Malaysia gathered in the South China Sea and conducted a fleet formation drill. US warship specialists said that the significance of the presence of US Aegis-equipped warships in the South China Sea is that once a war breaks out, the US warships may create an anti-air shield in the South China Sea.

Source: Zhongguo Tongxun She, Hong Kong, in Chinese 13 Jul 09