Some countries may try to make use of the
three-day Shangri-La Dialogue, starting on Friday, to once again sensationalize
the territorial disputes in the South China Sea between China and some of its
Southeast Asian neighbors.
Some
Western media outlets are predicting China will be "besieged" at the
annual security forum in Singapore, which is organized by the International
Institute for Strategic Studies and attended by the defense ministers and
military chiefs of 28 Asia-Pacific states.
But
will the South China Sea disputes necessarily lead to worsening relations
between China and neighboring countries, and have the disputes really become a
strategic trap on China's road to a peaceful rise as some like to claim?
The answer is no.
Take
China and the Philippines' month-long standoff at Huangyan Island for example.
The Philippines has not only illegally occupied eight islands and isles belonging
to China, it has also posed a further challenge by encouraging its fishermen to
fish in the waters around Huangyan Island. It has initiated the dispute with
China in an attempt to trick China into recognizing its occupation of the
islands. Such efforts, of course, have failed.
The
Philippines has tried to claim sovereignty over Huangyan Island because it is
within the country's exclusive economic zone. However, such a claim doesn't
hold water as China's sovereignty over the island was established long before
the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea in 1982 made stipulations
about exclusive economic zones.
Huangyan
Island is a natural extension of China's continental shelf and its rights over
the island can be traced back to 1279 when Chinese astronomer Guo Shoujing
first surveyed Huangyan Island; and Chinese fishermen have been known to fish
in this area since the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).
The
Philippines has tried to win the sympathy of the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations by proclaiming China a threat, but ASEAN members have seen for
themselves how much restraint China has shown during the standoff and how it
has continually held out an olive branch to the Philippines.
Countries
in the region are well aware that the Philippines has repeatedly ignored
China's peaceful overtures and tried to drag the United States into the dispute
against China. But the US has wisely decided it doesn't wish to get drawn into
an unnecessary conflict with China.
Any
concerns that by defending its territory China might damage its relations with
ASEAN are unfounded.
China
has long maintained harmonious relations with ASEAN and China welcomes joint
exploitation of resources while shelving disputes as long as ASEAN countries
abide by the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea,
A
second problem raised by the trap theory is: Any military action China takes
will prove it has ambitions for hegemony in the region and will scare its
neighbors, destroying the friendly environment conducive to a peaceful rise.
It's
true that China will be especially cautious about using military force to solve
the disputes.
But
using military force to defend its territory does not mean it is abandoning its
peaceful rise or pursuing hegemony in the region, defense is not offensive.
China
sticks to a defensive national defense policy, but it will firmly defend its
sovereignty and territory to the best of its ability, just as any other country
would.
The
South China Sea disputes are a complicated structural problem, as well as a
strategic problem. Some countries are trying to erode China's sovereignty by
occupying some of its territory in the South China Sea. If China does not act
firmly, these occupations might become permanent.
China
urges the countries concerned to honor their promises and abide by the
Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea. The world is
fully aware that it is China's self-restraint and patience that has prevented
the Huangyan Island standoff from escalating into military conflict. But
countries in the region should also recognize that while China follows a
peaceful development path it will always defend its national interests.
The
authors are researchers in political studies at Guangdong Ocean University.
Gong Jianhua and Zhou Jianyuan
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