The Escalating Sino-Philippine South China Sea Dispute Explained

Summary

The video discusses the ongoing South China Sea disputes, focusing on China's territorial claims and militarization of the region. It highlights recent tensions between China and the Philippines, particularly over the Second Thomas Shoal, and the potential for conflict escalation. The video also examines the implications of the US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty and the challenges of resolving territorial disputes in an increasingly unstable region.

Takeaways

• 🌏 The South China Sea dispute involves territorial claims over the Spratley and Paracel Islands by six countries, with China's claims being particularly expansive.
• 🏖️ China's historical claim to about 80-90% of the South China Sea is based on the 'nine-dash line' from a 1936 map, which is inconsistent with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
• 🛥️ Tensions escalated in the 2010s due to China's militarization and development of the islands, including land reclamation, which is unmatched by other claimants.
• 🚢 The South China Sea is a crucial sea lane, with 60% of China's total trade and 80% of its oil imports transiting through it, which fuels China's interest in controlling the area.
• 🇺🇸 The US has been conducting 'freedom of navigation' exercises since 2013, asserting rights under the UN Charter and challenging China's maritime claims.
• 🇵🇭 The China-Philippines dispute centers on the Second Thomas Shoal, where the Philippines has maintained a presence since 1999 to reinforce its territorial claim.
• 🛡️ Recent skirmishes between Chinese and Filipino navies have involved violent tactics, including the use of water cannons, lasers, and melee weapons.
• 🔪 A recent incident involved Chinese sailors attacking Filipino counterparts with machetes and hammers, marking a dangerous escalation in the dispute.
• 📜 The Philippines has a Mutual Defense Treaty with the US, which includes a NATO-style Article 5 clause that could potentially involve the US in the conflict.
• 🤝 Despite the escalating tensions, both sides have committed to bilateral negotiations, although the prospects for a resolution seem uncertain.
• 📚 The video script also promotes 'Brilliant', a learning platform offering interactive lessons in various fields, including programming, to build essential skills.

Q & A

What is the primary focus of the video script provided?

The video script focuses on the territorial disputes over the islands in the South China Sea, the recent escalation of tensions, and the reasons behind China's interest in these islands.

How long have the disputes over the South China Sea islands been ongoing?

The disputes over the South China Sea islands have been going on for nearly a century, with significant escalations in the 2010s and 2020.

What is the 'nine-dash line' mentioned in the script, and what is its basis?

The 'nine-dash line' is China's claim to about 80 to 90% of the South China Sea, based on an unofficial 1936 map by Chinese cartographer B Meu. It is inconsistent with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, which China has signed.

Why did the CCP start militarizing and developing the islands around 2010?

The CCP started militarizing and developing the islands to assert their territorial claims, which included dredging the seabed to artificially enlarge the islands, in response to the perceived threat of trade embargoes and to mitigate anxieties about trade dependencies.

What is the significance of the South China Sea in terms of global trade and China's economy?

The South China Sea is the second most used sea lane in the world, with approximately 60% of China's total trade and 80% of its oil imports transiting through the region, making it crucial for China's economy.

What are the 'freedom of navigation exercises' performed by the US around the South China Sea?

The 'freedom of navigation exercises' are operations where US vessels sail near or around features claimed by China, asserting their rights under the UN Charter on the Law of the Sea and challenging China's maritime claims.

Why has the dispute between China and the Philippines intensified recently?

The dispute has intensified due to China's attempts to interrupt Philippine resupply efforts to the Second Thomas Shoal, where a contingent of Philippine Marines is stationed, and the recent incident involving Chinese Coast Guard ramming a Filipino resupply boat.

What is the Second Thomas Shoal, and why is it significant in the dispute between China and the Philippines?

The Second Thomas Shoal is a reef about 200 km from Palawan and over 1,000 km from China's southern Hainan Island. It is considered part of the Philippines, and an international tribunal ruled in 2016 that China had no legal rights to it. The Philippines has occupied it since 1999 to reinforce its territorial claim.

What is the potential implication of the recent escalation for the US, given its defense treaty with the Philippines?

The US has a Mutual Defense Treaty with the Philippines, which includes a NATO-style Article 5 clause. If Manila deems Beijing's actions as war, it could oblige the US to get involved, as confirmed by the US Secretary of Defense.

What is the role of Brilliant in the context of this video script?

Brilliant is mentioned as a platform for learning by doing, offering interactive lessons in various fields such as math, data analysis, programming, and AI, which are relevant skills for the job market or for personal learning.

Outlines

00:00

🌏 South China Sea Tensions and Territorial Disputes

The video discusses the ongoing territorial disputes in the South China Sea, focusing on the escalation of tensions in recent years. It explains the historical context of the dispute, which involves six countries and revolves around China's expansive claims to the region, including the Spratly and Paracel Islands. The video highlights the 'nine-dash line' claimed by China, which is inconsistent with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. It also touches on the militarization of the islands by China and other countries since the 2010s, leading to increased tensions. The South China Sea's strategic importance due to its role in global trade and the potential for conflict due to the US's 'freedom of navigation' exercises are also covered. The video sets the stage for a deeper dive into China's motivations and the implications of recent skirmishes between Chinese and Filipino navies.

05:01

🛳️ Escalation in the South China Sea: China vs. Philippines

This paragraph delves into the specific dispute between China and the Philippines over the Second Thomas Shoal, a reef claimed by the Philippines but also within China's expansive territorial claims. The video script describes the increasing aggression by Chinese vessels in attempting to disrupt the resupply missions to the Philippine marines stationed there since 1999. It details the recent incident where the Chinese Coast Guard rammed a Filipino resupply boat, leading to a Filipino soldier losing a finger. The paragraph also discusses the potential implications of this escalating conflict, including the possibility of invoking the Mutual Defense Treaty between the Philippines and the US, which could draw the US into the conflict. The video emphasizes the complexity of the situation, the difficulty in resolving the dispute through bilateral negotiations, and the risk of an escalatory spiral that could have significant geopolitical consequences.

Keywords

💡South China Sea

The South China Sea is a 3.5 million square km area of sea located south of China and Taiwan, between Vietnam and the Philippines, and north of Brunei and Malaysia. It is central to the video's theme as it is the location of the territorial disputes discussed, involving several countries' claims over islands and maritime rights.

💡Territorial Dispute

A territorial dispute refers to a disagreement between two or more parties over the possession and control of a geographic area. In the context of the video, it highlights the ongoing conflict regarding the ownership of the Spratley and Paracel islands in the South China Sea.

💡China's Nine-Dash Line

China's Nine-Dash Line is an unofficial demarcation line that claims about 80 to 90% of the South China Sea based on a 1936 map by Chinese cartographer B Meu. The term is significant in the video as it represents China's expansive claim over the area, which is inconsistent with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

💡UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea is an international treaty that outlines the rights and responsibilities of nations in their use of the world's oceans. In the video, it is mentioned as the legal framework that defines a state's territorial zone and exclusive economic zone, which China's claims contradict.

💡Militarization

Militarization refers to the process of making an area or object into a military asset. The video discusses how the militarization of the South China Sea islands by China and other countries has escalated tensions in the region since the 2010s.

💡Freedom of Navigation Exercises

Freedom of Navigation Exercises are operations conducted by the US Navy to assert the right of passage under international law through areas claimed by another country. The video describes how these exercises, initiated around 2013 and increased under the Trump administration, have heightened tensions with China.

💡Second Thomas Shoal

Second Thomas Shoal is a reef in the South China Sea that is central to the dispute between China and the Philippines. The video explains that it is a significant point of contention, with the Philippines having occupied it since 1999 and China attempting to disrupt resupply efforts to the Philippine Marines stationed there.

💡Mutual Defense Treaty

A Mutual Defense Treaty is an agreement between two or more states to provide military support in the event of an attack. The video mentions the 70-year-old treaty between the Philippines and the US, which includes an Article 5 clause that could potentially involve the US in the South China Sea conflict.

💡Escalatory Spiral

An escalatory spiral refers to a series of actions and reactions that increase the severity of a conflict. The video uses this term to describe the current situation between China and the Philippines, where both sides are taking measures that could lead to further conflict rather than resolution.

💡Brilliant

Brilliant is an educational platform mentioned in the video for its interactive lessons in various subjects like math, data analysis, programming, and AI. It is used in the script as a sponsor and is related to the theme of learning and skills development, which is essential for individuals in the job market or those looking to expand their knowledge.

Highlights

Dispute over the South China Sea islands has been ongoing for nearly a century.

Tensions escalated in the 2010s due to militarization and development of the islands by China and other countries.

The Trump Administration increased US Navy presence in the region in 2020.

Recent skirmishes between Chinese and Filipino navies have heightened tensions again.

China's keen interest in the South China Sea Islands is due to territorial claims and strategic importance.

China claims nearly 90% of the South China Sea based on the 'nine-dash line' from a 1936 map.

China's claims contradict the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, which defines territorial zones differently.

China's development of the islands has been unmatched in scale compared to other claimant countries.

The South China Sea is a crucial trade route, with a significant portion of China's trade passing through it.

US 'freedom of navigation' exercises have challenged China's maritime claims since 2013.

China and the Philippines are in a dispute primarily over the Second Thomas Shoal.

The Philippines has occupied the Second Thomas Shoal since 1999 to reinforce its territorial claim.

China has attempted to disrupt Philippine resupply missions to the shoal with aggressive tactics.

A recent incident involved the Chinese Coast Guard ramming a Filipino resupply boat.

The Philippines has a Mutual Defense Treaty with the US, which could be invoked in the event of war.

The US has reaffirmed its commitment to the Philippines, indicating potential involvement in the South China Sea disputes.

Despite the risk of conflict, the situation remains unstable with no clear resolution in sight.

Brilliant offers interactive lessons in various fields, including programming, beneficial for job seekers or learners.

Transcripts

this video is brought to you by

brilliant disputes over the islands in

the South China Sea have been going on

for nearly a century diset Rose in the

2010s after China and other countries

started developing and militarizing the

islands and reached a peak in 2020 when

the Trump Administration started

increasing the number of US Navy ships

in the region however after a period of

relative calm tensions have peaked once

again after a series of escalating

skirmishes between the Chinese and

Filipino navies which came to a head

last week when Chinese Sailors attacked

their Filipino counterparts with

machetes and hammers in disputed Waters

off second Thomas sh so in this video

we're going to look at why China is so

keen on the South China Sea Islands

these recent developments and why this

is bad news for a region that's looking

increasingly

[Music]

unstable before we start if you haven't

already please consider subscribing and

ringing the bell to stay in the loop and

be notified when we release new videos

so let's start with some context the

South China Sea is a 3.5 million square

km bit of sea that lies unsurprisingly

south of China and Taiwan in between

Vietnam and the Philippines and north of

brunai and Malaysia it holds two groups

of islands the spratley islands in the

South and the parisel islands in the

north the dispute is basically a

territorial dispute between those six

countries about who has territorial

rights in the area and a lot of the

tension revolves around China's somewhat

expansive claim China claims historic

rights to about 80 to 90% of the South

China Sea via what's known as the n-

line which is based on an unofficial

1936 map by Chinese cartographer B meu

China's claims are clearly inconsistent

with the UN convention on the law of the

sea to which China is a signatory which

defines a state's territorial Zone as

being 12 nautical miles from a state's

Coast and its exclusive economic zone as

being 200 miles for context the

furthermost point point of China's 9-

line is about 1200 M from its Shore

obviously China's claim has also

generated some tension with other South

China Sea countries not just because it

contradicts their own territorial claims

but also because at the moment each of

the Six South China Sea countries

occupies at least one island in the

spratley or the paracels which they

sometimes have to defend from Chinese

aggression now in the 1990s and 2000s

this wasn't really a problem and the

various countries didn't really fight

over the islands however since about 201

10 tensions have steadily escalated

largely because that's when the CCP

started militarizing and developing the

islands including dredging the nearby

seabed to artificially make them bigger

now the CCP weren't actually the first

to do this Vietnam and the Philippines

for example had engaged in similar

practices in the past but the scale of

the Chinese program is unmatched and in

the past couple of years China has also

begun developing previously unoccupied

features in violation of an agreement

signed by the South China Sea countries

in 2011 the ccp's increasingly

forward-leaning policy here is probably

a reflection of their growing anxieties

about trade dependencies for context the

South China Sea is the second most used

sea Lane in the world after the DOA

straight and something like 60% of

China's total trade and 80% of its oil

imports Transit through the region

anyway Chinese policy makers have long

worried about the possibility of a trade

embargo cutting off their essential

Imports in the event of a conflict and

controlling the South China Sea

mitigates these risks beijing's

anxieties here have only been

exacerbated by the US which started

performing what it describes as freedom

of navigation exercises around the area

in about 2013 and then stepped up their

frequency under Trump this basically

involves us vessels sailing near or

around features claimed by China

essentially exercising their rights

under the UN Charter on the law of the

sea and asserting the Charter's

legitimacy by violating China's

illegitimate Maritime claims it's worth

noting that this is pretty hypocritical

because the US Senate hasn't actually

ratified the charter but it still goes

around enforcing It Anyway tensions have

subsequently been on the rise ever since

but things have become especially

dangerous between China and the

Philippines in the past few months the

China Philippines dispute mostly centers

around the second Thomas sha which is

basically a protruding Reef about 200 km

from Palawan but more than 1,000 km from

China's southern hyan island the sh is

widely considered part of the

Philippines and an international

tribunal in 2016 ruled that China had no

legal rights to the Sha which lies

within the Philippines exclusive

economic zone the sh has been occupied

by a contingent of Philippine Marines

since 1999 when the Philippines

deliberately ran a World War II era ship

called the Sierra Madre a ground on the

reef to reinforce its territorial claim

these marines have to be resupplied

every month or so and for the past few

months Chinese ships have been trying to

interrupt these resupply efforts using

increasingly violent tactics including

water cannons lasers and even melee

weapons this is probably because China

suspects the Philippines of secretly

reinforcing the Sierra Madre which is

sort of falling apart while Manila

denies this last week the Ft reported

that officials close to the situation

had privately admitted that they had

indeed reinforced it this has provoked

irritation from the CCP which has

basically been waiting 25 years for the

ship to disintegrate so they can Nick

the shaw anyway things came to a head on

Monday last week when the Chinese Coast

Guard rammed a Filipino resupply boat

while brandishing makeshift Spears which

ended with one Filipino Soldier losing

their finger it's not clear from the

footage whether or not the Chinese Coast

Guard actually boarded the Filipino

ships but comments by Filipino soldiers

claiming that their weapons were seized

suggests they did at least temporarily

this would be an unprecedented

escalation but not entirely unforeseen

given that just last week Beijing

published new regulations allowing its

Coast Guard to both board and use lethal

Force against foreign ships in its

claimed territorial Waters now Manila

have since said that they don't quite

consider the incident to be an act of

war and Filipino president Marcos Jr has

in the past said that it would require

the death of a Philippine service member

or citizen quote by a willful act for

the Philippines to declare war

nonetheless this is deeply worrying for

two reasons firstly the two sides are

stuck in an escalatory spiral while

they've committed to a bilateral

negotiation on the issue sometime in

July it's hard to see these talks coming

to a productive conclusion given that

neither side has shown any willingness

to give up its territorial claim second

the Philippines has a 70-year-old Mutual

defense treaty with the US with a NATO

style Article 5 clause and if Manila did

deem beijing's actions to constitute War

it would oblige the US to get involved

in March the US Secretary of Defense

Lloyd Austin confirmed that the treaty

extended to the South China Sea and last

week US Secretary of State Anthony

blinkin reaffirmed what he described as

America's Ironclad commitments to the

Philippines whilst public comments

suggests that China doesn't want war

with the Philippines let alone the US

and World War III still looks

overwhelmingly unlikely if the past few

years have taught us anything it's that

escalatory spirals can be surprisingly

hard to diffuse looking around the

political stage there's a good number of

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