Who doesn’t dream of basking in the morning sun while water splashes your feet as you
read Paulo Coelho and sipping some pina colada on your PRIVATE ISLAND?
Seems like China lives by this idea, uhmm not holidaying on a beach but owning an island
all to themselves!
No harm done, right?
After all, what could be wrong with having an island, many countries own islands and
there are many others who are just islands in themselves!
Well, owning an island is one thing but creating one on a sea sounds weird and fishy.
Let’s start with a background of country borders here because hello, a border can change
the course of water!
That was a joke, maybe a bad one though!
Anyway, as per the UN Law of Seas, a country’s territorial borders extend 200 nautical miles
from its shore and this area is called the country’s ‘Exclusive Economic Zone’.
Going by this, any natural resources found in the EEZ area belongs to the country only!
Okay now any area that doesn’t fall in any country’s EEZ is termed as international
waters which is open to all.
Most countries follow this rule except China, OF COURSE!
Well, they believe they have historical claims and have marked their border vaguely by the
‘9 dash line’.
Now this ‘historic’ border takes about 90% of the South China Sea.
You can well understand that this wasn’t well received by other countries!
This is a valuable trade passage and fishing ground for all neighboring countries like
Japan, Malaysia, Vietnam and Philippines.
After all it is incredibly rich in natural resources replete with 11 billion barrels
of oil, 190 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and over 10% of world’s fisheries!
Another important thing is that 30% of world trade flows through this passage of the South
China Sea!
Claiming them entirely OBVIOUSLY meant trouble with the neighbors!
The next we come to the Spratly Islands, a cluster of barely inhabited and remote islands
which are both symbolically and geographically the heart of South China Sea.
They are claimed by Vietnam, China, Malaysia and Philippines.
The important point here is that any country that can claim these islands will be in a
position to extend their EEZ to include a large chunk of surrounding waters!
Though all these countries have created ports and buildings on these small islands to claim
their portion, China believes Spratly Islands belong to them.
You guessed that, didn’t you?
This is exactly where the roots of this dispute are hidden but the matter escalated rather
quickly from here!
China has been actively directing their efforts towards building manmade bases over some of
the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea since 2014.
This doesn’t sound so good!
In March 2017, the Center for Strategic and International Studies confirmed the completion
of a Chinese man-made island named as the Fiery Cross Island.
The interesting thing is that it didn’t even exist 2 years ago, wow!
It used to be nothing more than a mass of rocks and coral reef.
Guess how does it look now?
Uhmm, this one square mile island is host to a 10,000-foot airstrip, basketball and
tennis courts, running tracks, buildings and what not!
That is China for you!
The U.S. estimates that China has added 3,200 acres of land on seven features over the past
three years.
Now this is shocking!
They have used reefs and rock to their advantage for constructing these islands.
They created the base by piling up sand on the reef, added a thick layer of rocks to
it and then a layer of cement to the first two.
They basically used the principle used by Dubai to create Palm Islands.
Smart we should say!
But where did the enormous amounts of sand come from that was required for these islands?
Well, they grinded the materials on seabed and turned it into fine sand.
You guessed it right, they were slammed for causing irreparable harm to the marine environment.
Sad but we gotta focus on something else!
They can create land out of nowhere that too on sea!
But that is not the scary bit, wait for it.
As per China, the islands are being created for navigation purposes and the light houses
erected on them will help ships to know their way around the corals.
How noble!
Once you are ready to ditch those ‘awestruck’ expressions that made their way to your face
after hearing about China’s accomplishment, know that it isn’t all positive!
While these islands have navigational benefits, many of them are now evidently military bases.
Can you believe that?
The Fiery Cross Island itself is replete with advanced radar station, missile system and
200 troops!
Since China claims the Spratly Islands entirely, creating these manmade islands are a sign
that they are willing to use force to defend such claims!
It gets scarier and scarier!
This is where the US steps in.
Even though it has no claim in the South China Sea, being a Superpower it tries to defend
international waters.
So when a US destroyer ship sailed 12 miles from the coast of one of these manmade islands,
China sent out a patrol boat and a destroyer to warn their intrusion!
The reason China has built these islands is because these will function as naval bases.
The more islands they create, the more ship they can support and thus the more area they
can take control of!
They have been deploying their ships and fishing boats some 150 miles from Philippines, thereby
restricting trade to the country!
This they have termed the Cabbage strategy!
Though China has taken one step at a time so that no major conflicts arise, other countries
aren’t taking this and are thus arresting trespassers in waters that they claim!
This may be good for them but China plans to go a step ahead by declaring an air identification
zone above the South China Sea.
Which would mean that any aircraft flying above it would need permission from China!
Though this has not yet happened, you never know!
So when China claims that their intentions are not militaristic, it would be hard to
believe after such actions!
Other countries are also taking action by increasing troops around their territory.
We can only hope that these conflicts do not get ugly but going by the present situation,
we are doubtful!
What are your views on China’s new manmade islands?
Tell us in the comment section below.
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