What is going on in the SOUTH CHINA SEA?

WHAT IS THE DEAL ABOUT THIS AREA?
The South China Sea not only is rich in marine life, which makes it heavily fished and the main source of animal protein for the densely populated Southeast Asian area, but it also bears huge reserves of oil and natural gas underneath its floor.

WHAT MAKES THIS SUCH A DELICATE SITUATION?
Apart from natural resources, the South China Sea contains some of the world’s most important shipping lanes. The main route to and from Pacific and Indian ocean ports is through the Strait of Malacca and the South China Sea. Generally, oil and minerals move north, and food and manufactured goods move south. Some areas in the central South China Sea are not well sounded, and nautical charts bear the notation “dangerous ground”. More recently, a “dangerous” designation has also arisen from international territorial disputes, especially over the Spratly Islands, which lie in the oil-rich zone between Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines, and Vietnam; those four countries, plus China and Taiwan, have laid some claim to the group.

However, according to U.N. law, countries’ territorial waters extend 200 miles of their shore (exclusive economic zone). Which, in this case, makes for a very delicate situation.

SO, WHAT DOES CHINA DO?
China claims that historically the South China Sea belongs to them and established the so-called 9-Dash-Line, which effectively sees 90% of the area belonging to China.

So, in order to establish this claim and because their views are not shared by the others, China is setting up islands themselves. You heard right. Big Chinese tankers are pumping sand into the ocean to set up maritime military basis on top of these artificial islands. This technically extends their 200 miles claim across most of the South China Sea once recognized by international law. At the same time, Chinese warships are denying access to the other islands owned by the Philippines and Vietnam, effectively starving the small population on these islands. China calls this the cabbage strategy.

WHY IS THIS SO IMPORTANT ON A GLOBAL SCALE?
Apart from 30% of global trade going through the passage in the South China Sea, the dispute especially between the Philippines and China bears some potential for a global conflict. Historically, the Philippines have had close ties with the US and serve it as the main gateway to more military, and hence political, influence within the pacific area.

Steve Bannon, whether you like him or not (more than likely you don’t), a high calibre influencer and most likely the man behind of Donald Trump, has already made predictions about a definite war in this region within the next 5 – 10 years. This would elevate the conflict to a completely new level and involve almost all countries who have an economic interest in this region.

DISCLAIMER:
Please view this as a not opinionated article, but rather an informative one that encourages further research on the subject while retaining a neutral perspective on the subject. Always try to view conflicts from every perspective of the involved parties.
Thanks.

SOURCES:
https://www.britannica.com/place/South-China-Sea
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/trumps-adviser-steve-bannon-were-going-war-south-china-sea-no-doubt-1604474