Nine-Dash Line Explained

Summary

The video explores the controversial 'nine-dash line' (originally the '11-dash line') that China uses to justify its territorial claims in the South China Sea, particularly against the Philippines. The video delves into the historical context of the line, its origins after World War II, and China's opportunistic territorial claims. The legitimacy of these claims is questioned, especially given international laws like the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which do not recognize China's assertions. The ongoing tension in the region is highlighted, with a focus on China's expansionist actions and the lack of absolute enforcement against such claims.

Takeaways

• 🌏 The South China Sea is a hotspot of tension, particularly between the Philippines and China, due to territorial disputes over the West Philippine Sea.
• 📜 China's claim over this area is based on the controversial 'n-h line,' also known as the 'nine-dash line,' which they argue justifies their territorial claims.
• 🗺️ The 'nine-dash line' originally started as an 'eleven-dash line' in a 1947 map published by the Republic of China, but was later reduced to nine dashes by Mao Zedong in 1952 to improve relations with North Vietnam.
• ⚓ The origin of China's claims is traced back to historical events, including the Sino-French War and Japan's defeat in World War II, during which China opportunistically expanded its territorial claims.
• 🌊 Internationally, China's claims are not widely recognized. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) does not honor China's 'nine-dash line,' and a 2016 arbitral tribunal ruling declared China's historic claims over these waters invalid.
• 🇵🇭 Despite the Philippines having legal backing, they lack the military strength to enforce their territorial claims against China, which has even constructed artificial islands in the disputed area.
• ⚖️ The script highlights the lack of a universally enforceable rule in the South China Sea, leading to ongoing confusion and unresolved territorial disputes.
• 🗣️ Several countries, including the US, Canada, and Australia, have expressed support for the Philippines and criticized China's territorial ambitions in the region.
• 🚩 In 2023, China further escalated tensions by introducing a new 'standard map' with a tenth dash line near Taiwan, raising concerns over their territorial ambitions.
• 🤝 The script emphasizes the need for an absolute international rule that even powerful countries like China must follow to resolve the ongoing territorial disputes in the South China Sea.

Q & A

What is the significance of the NH line in China's territorial claims?

The NH line, also known as the Nine-Dash Line, is a demarcation used by China to claim vast areas of the South China Sea, including parts within the Philippines' Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). It represents China's historical and territorial ambitions, though it is not recognized by international law.

How did the NH line originate?

The NH line originated from an 11-dash line map published by the Republic of China in 1947, after the defeat of Japan in World War II. The line was later reduced to nine dashes by the People's Republic of China in 1952 as a gesture to North Vietnam.

Why is the NH line controversial in the South China Sea disputes?

The NH line is controversial because it overlaps with the EEZs of several Southeast Asian countries, including the Philippines, Vietnam, and Malaysia. This has led to ongoing disputes over sovereignty, fishing rights, and access to resources in the region.

What is the international community's stance on the NH line?

The international community, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and several Southeast Asian nations, does not recognize the NH line. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) also does not honor China's claims based on this line.

How has China responded to international criticism of the NH line?

China has rejected international criticism and continues to assert its claims over the South China Sea, even adding a tenth dash in a 2023 map to include Taiwan. China maintains that the NH line represents its historic rights, despite international rulings against it.

What was the ruling of the 2016 arbitral tribunal regarding the South China Sea disputes?

In 2016, an arbitral tribunal concluded that China's claims of historic rights over the South China Sea had no legal basis where they exceeded the terms of UNCLOS. The tribunal ruled that China had not exercised exclusive control over the waters and resources.

Why is the NH line not recognized under international law?

The NH line is not recognized under international law because it lacks a basis in UNCLOS, which defines a country's maritime rights based on its EEZ. The NH line extends far beyond China's EEZ, infringing on the maritime zones of other nations.

How has China physically reinforced its claims in the South China Sea?

China has reinforced its claims by building artificial islands and military installations in the South China Sea, particularly in disputed areas like the Spratly Islands. These actions have escalated tensions with other claimant nations.

What is the impact of the NH line on regional security?

The NH line has significantly impacted regional security, leading to heightened tensions and militarization in the South China Sea. The ongoing disputes have strained relations between China and its neighbors, as well as between China and other global powers.

What potential solutions exist to resolve the South China Sea disputes?

A potential solution would require a binding international agreement that clearly defines maritime boundaries and enforces compliance with UNCLOS. However, the lack of an absolute rule that even powerful nations must follow makes resolution difficult.

Outlines

00:00

🌊 Tensions in the South China Sea: Unpacking China's NH Line

This paragraph discusses the escalating tensions between the Philippines and China over territorial disputes in the South China Sea, particularly the West Philippine Sea. China justifies its territorial claims by referencing the controversial NH line, a demarcation that China considers the basis of its sovereignty over the region. The paragraph raises questions about the legitimacy of this line and the broader implications of China's stance, especially in light of international pushback from countries like the US, Canada, and Australia.

05:01

📜 The Origin and Controversy of China's Nine-Dash Line

This paragraph delves into the history and evolution of China's Nine-Dash Line, which originally started as the Eleven-Dash Line published in 1947. It explains how China removed two dashes from the line in 1952 as a gesture to North Vietnam and how the line has been used to claim territories in the South China Sea, including the Spratly Islands, which are also claimed by the Philippines. The paragraph highlights the international controversy surrounding the line, noting that it appears only on Chinese maps, not on those recognized globally.

🗺️ Historical Basis or Opportunistic Claim? Examining China's Actions

This paragraph questions the legitimacy of China's use of the Nine-Dash Line as a basis for its territorial claims. It argues that China's claim is more of an opportunistic grab than a historically justified action. The discussion traces the origin of the line back to China's post-World War II actions, where China claimed territories Japan had relinquished. However, the paragraph suggests that China's claims extend beyond what was historically theirs, leading to the ongoing disputes in the South China Sea.

📅 The 2023 Map and the 10th Dash: Expanding China's Ambitions

This paragraph addresses the controversy over China's new 2023 standard map, which includes an additional tenth dashed line near Taiwan. The addition of this line has sparked tensions, particularly with Taiwan and India, the latter of which lodged a diplomatic objection. The paragraph hints at China's intention to assert its claim over Taiwan and suggests that China can arbitrarily add more dashed lines to assert territorial claims, raising concerns over the legitimacy and implications of such actions.

⚖️ International Law vs. China's Territorial Claims: The Need for Absolute Rules

This paragraph discusses the challenges in enforcing international law against China's territorial claims in the South China Sea. It references the 2016 arbitral tribunal ruling that rejected China's historic rights over the disputed areas, noting that China and a few other countries refuse to recognize this ruling. The paragraph emphasizes the need for a stronger, universally enforceable rule to prevent countries like China from unilaterally expanding their territories through imaginary lines on maps, as the current legal frameworks like UNCLOS are insufficient to curb such actions.

Keywords

💡Nine-Dash Line

The Nine-Dash Line is a demarcation used by China to assert its claims over large areas of the South China Sea. This line is not recognized by international law, and it encompasses regions within the exclusive economic zones (EEZ) of several Southeast Asian countries, including the Philippines. The video explains that this line, originally an 11-dash line, was created by China post-World War II and has been a major source of territorial disputes, especially in the West Philippine Sea.

💡Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)

An Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) is a sea zone prescribed by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) where a state has special rights regarding the exploration and use of marine resources. In the context of the video, the Philippines' EEZ includes areas within the Nine-Dash Line, leading to conflicts with China, which claims these regions despite their distance from China's mainland.

💡United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)

UNCLOS is an international treaty that defines the rights and responsibilities of nations concerning the use of the world's oceans, establishing guidelines for businesses, the environment, and the management of marine natural resources. The video mentions UNCLOS in the context of the legal framework that rejects China's Nine-Dash Line, stating that areas within 200 nautical miles of a nation's coast are under that nation's jurisdiction, contradicting China's expansive claims.

💡Spratly Islands

The Spratly Islands are a group of islands, reefs, and atolls in the South China Sea, claimed by multiple countries, including China and the Philippines. According to the video, these islands fall within the Nine-Dash Line, which China claims as its territory, although they are geographically closer to the Philippines and within its EEZ. The Spratly Islands are strategically important and believed to hold significant natural resources, making them a focal point in the territorial disputes.

💡Arbitral Tribunal

The Arbitral Tribunal refers to the international legal body that ruled in 2016 against China's claims in the South China Sea under the Nine-Dash Line. The video highlights that the tribunal concluded China’s claim to historic rights over the sea had no lawful effect under UNCLOS, reinforcing the Philippines’ rights over its EEZ. Despite this ruling, China has rejected the tribunal’s decision, continuing to assert its territorial claims.

💡South China Sea Dispute

The South China Sea Dispute involves overlapping territorial and jurisdictional claims by various countries, including China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei. The video delves into this conflict, focusing on China's extensive claims based on the Nine-Dash Line, which overlap with the EEZs of other countries, particularly the Philippines, leading to ongoing diplomatic and military tensions in the region.

💡Artificial Islands

Artificial islands in the context of the South China Sea refer to man-made structures created by China to bolster its territorial claims. The video mentions that China has built these islands within the disputed waters of the South China Sea, despite international opposition and the ruling of the Arbitral Tribunal. These islands are often equipped with military facilities, further escalating tensions in the region.

💡West Philippine Sea

The West Philippine Sea is the term used by the Philippines to describe the eastern parts of the South China Sea that fall within its EEZ. The video discusses how this area, although recognized internationally as part of the Philippines’ maritime domain, is contested by China under the Nine-Dash Line, leading to the ongoing territorial dispute between the two countries.

💡Historic Rights

Historic rights are claims made by a country based on historical use or control of a region. In the video, China’s justification for the Nine-Dash Line is based on such historic rights, claiming that these areas have been part of Chinese territory for centuries. However, the Arbitral Tribunal ruled that these historic rights do not have legal standing under UNCLOS, especially when they infringe on other nations' EEZs.

💡Territorial Sovereignty

Territorial sovereignty refers to the authority of a state to govern itself and control its own territory. In the video, China’s claims of territorial sovereignty over areas within the Nine-Dash Line are challenged by other countries and international law, particularly UNCLOS, which supports the sovereignty of nations like the Philippines over their respective EEZs. The ongoing disputes reflect the conflict between China's assertions of sovereignty and the internationally recognized rights of other nations.

Highlights

The South China Sea is a major point of tension, especially between the Philippines and China, with disputes over the West Philippine Sea.

China claims that the area within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone (EEZ) belongs to them, citing their controversial 'nine-dash line' as the basis for their claim.

The nine-dash line, originally an eleven-dash line, was published by the Republic of China in 1947 and later modified by the People's Republic of China.

China removed two dashes from the original eleven-dash line in 1952 to foster better relations with North Vietnam, highlighting the line's arbitrary nature.

The nine-dash line is only visible on Chinese-made maps, and is not recognized on international maps produced by other nations.

China's historical basis for the nine-dash line is rooted in the aftermath of the Sino-French war and the ambiguity of treaties signed with France regarding maritime borders.

After World War II, China claimed territories in the South China Sea that Japan had surrendered, but their claims were based on opportunistic expansions rather than clear legal rights.

In 2023, China published a new standard map that added a tenth dash near Taiwan, further escalating tensions in the region.

The 2023 addition of the tenth dash suggests China’s intent to assert claims over Taiwan, which has functioned as a separate country since 1949.

International law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), does not recognize China's extensive claims in the South China Sea.

The 2016 arbitral tribunal ruled that China's historic rights over areas exceeding their EEZ have no lawful effect under UNCLOS.

Despite international rulings, China continues to build artificial islands and enforce its claims, largely because of the Philippines' limited ability to challenge China militarily.

The Philippines' inability to stop China highlights the need for stronger international rules to govern maritime disputes in the South China Sea.

The ongoing disputes in the South China Sea remain unresolved due to the lack of absolute laws that powerful countries like China are willing to follow.

The situation in the South China Sea is unlikely to be resolved soon, as involved countries show no signs of compromising on their claims.

Transcripts

with all the tension in the South China

Sea especially between the Philippines

and China particularly regarding their

disputes in the west Philippines Sea

what is the truth now China claims that

this area which is within the

Philippines exclusive economic zone is

still theirs they justify this by citing

their so-called n-h line so basically

China's n-h line is the ultimate basis

for their claim but what exactly is the

n-h line is it something that every

country should know and honor well today

I think we should dig deeper into this

matter because I have mentioned the n-h

line many times in some of my videos and

I think it's time to clarify this line

that is very controversial in the South

China Sea disputes so welcome to

grandline media and the n-h line of

China the US Canada and Australia have

all spoken out in support of the

Philippines they been critical of China

[Music]

where you have in the Forum Marcus War

in China that the Philippines will

respond accordingly talks about India

must be on the guard so the latest move

also comes on the heels of G2

Summit the nine dash line consists of

nine lines that you can see in this

region if you're using a map made by

China in other words you can't see it on

international maps made by other nations

only on those made by China originally

this dashed line was 11 and thus was

called the 11 dash line the 11-h line

Map was published by the Republic of

China on December 1st 1947 however in

1952 the founder of the People's

Republic of China Maad dong decided to

remove the two dashes located in the

Gulf of tonen amid warming ties with

North Vietnam meaning they gifted North

Vietnam this territory as a good Gest

for their communist comrades but the

funny thing is this gulf of tonen was

supposedly owned by Vietnam in the first

place I SM Something Fishy anyway at

least China is a good friend so based on

China's history each Dash in the nine-

line represents the range of China's

claimed territory if we look at China's

map the spratly islands fall Within

These dashes however the conflict arises

because parts of these islands are

clearly within the West Philippine Sea

so who is right who is the rightful

owner well to be honest it is

complicated to answer because if it were

easy we wouldn't have an ongoing dispute

in this sea right but the purpose of

this video is to dig deeper to

understand exactly what the n- line is

and whether it is a legitimate basis for

China's claim all of this started after

the war between China and France after

the Sino French war in 1885 China signed

the treat Treaty of tensen with France

and renounced its suzerainty over

Vietnam meaning China will now have

partly rights over Vietnam on June 26th

1887 the Ching government signed the

convention relating to the delimitation

of the frontier between China and tonen

which did not clarify the maritime

border between China and French

Indina in other words the agreement

didn't specify which Maritime

territories belong to China the

confusion became more challenged ing to

address after Japan's defeat in World

War II after Japan's defeat they

surrendered all their conquered islands

and seas including those in the South

China Sea this surrender occurred

through the potam Declaration which

essentially required Japan to relinquish

all territories it had acquired during

its conquests this included the total

withdrawal of Japan's military from

Chinese territory however the terms did

not specify the Republic of China's

sovereignty over the archipelagos and

surrounding Waters meaning there was no

clear statement about what China could

claim but then again in November 1946

China sent its Naval forces to claim the

parisel pratus and spratly Islands the

following year they made their map with

this 11 dash line stating that all

islands and seas within these lines were

their territory starting that year so

what was wrong with China's action if we

think about it what China did was

grabbing the

opportunity the war had ended Japan

surrendered its conquered territories

and China saw the chance to reclaim its

territory the problem was that they

claimed too much they used that

opportunity to take territories that

were not originally part of their Maps

even before Japan conquered them at that

time China was the only country in the

South China Sea with the capability to

make such an expedition and they used

that chance to claim more territories

and that was the origin of the 11- line

which later turned into the n- line map

of China now based on its origin do you

think China can use that as their

legitimate basis to claim the spratly

islands if we use common sense the

answer is obviously no it's Common Sense

the n-h line is merely a visual

representation of their territorial

Ambitions back then and even now when

Japan surrendered those islands they

conquered should have been given back to

their rightful owners back then the

paracels pratus and the spratly islands

had no claimants so China claimed them

instead despite the fact that these

areas were far from their Mainland but

do you know what's funnier about China's

dashed line well they can just add

another dashed line if they want to in

fact they did just that in 2023 when

they published their so-called new

standard map of China India has lodged a

diplomatic objection with China over a

new map which which lays claim to Indian

Territory the so-called

2023 standard map of China was published

earlier in the week now the controversy

over China's new standard map continues

to rage now chines defended the move and

urged India to stay objective and

refrain from interpreting this issue I

intend to make a separate video about

this new standard map because I think it

is a deep topic that needs a detailed

documentary especially in connection

with their dashed line in the new map

they added another dashed line now

called the 10th dashed line which is

just beside Taiwan of course this action

sparked more tension with some Nations

especially Taiwan why did they add the

10th dashed line does it mean that they

actually own Taiwan and want to show the

world that Taiwan is still a province of

China in fact Taiwan has been a separate

country since

1949 but you see China just did that so

does it mean that anytime and anywhere

they can just add a dashed line and

claim it as their territory funny isn't

it it is no surprise why international

law especially the United Nations

convention on the law of the sea does

not honor China's claim according to and

close all the islands and living and

non-living resources within 200 nautical

miles of a nation's Coast are under that

nation's jurisdiction so if we go to the

map the disputed areas are already far

from China's e EZ and some of them are

within the Philippines EZ known as the

West Philippine Sea on the 12th of July

2016 an arbitral tribunal concluded that

China's claim of historic rights over

the high seas has no lawful effect where

they exceed the terms of

anose one of the arguments was that

China had not exercised exclusive

control over these Waters and resources

actually the tribunal cannot rule on

matters of territorial sovereignty

however over 20 governments have called

for the ruling to be respected but it

has been rejected by eight governments

including the PRC and the RO or the

Republic of China this means that China

does not want to surrender its claims

despite knowing that legally they are

not the rightful owners of this part of

the sea but why no one can stop China in

fact China has even built artificial

Islands in this sea how come well the

short answer is that the Philippines is

not strong enough to stop China the long

answer is that there is still no

absolute law pertaining to the

jurisdiction of every country in the

South China Sea yes we have anose but it

cannot enforce its rules on China what

we need is an absolute rule that even

strong countries must follow without

such a rule the use of imaginary lines

on maps like the n-h line will continue

and the confusion over territories will

become harder to address I don't think

the disputes in this archipelago will be

be resolved soon because the countries

involved show no signs of surrendering

hopefully this n-h line will not fuel

more serious tensions between these

nations