Why China is building islands in the South China Sea

China claims they aren't military bases, but their actions say otherwise.

Since 2014, China has been building islands in the middle of the South China Sea. What were once underwater reefs are now sandy islands complete with airfields, roads, buildings, and missile systems. In less than two years, China has turned seven reefs into seven military bases in the South China Sea, one of the most contentious bodies of water in the world.

The sea is one of the most important areas of ocean in the world. It’s estimated to hold 11 billion barrels of oil, 109 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, and 10 percent of the world’s fisheries. Most importantly, 30 percent of the world’s shipping trade flows through the South China Sea to the busy ports of Southeast Asia. It’s an incredibly important strategic area, and five countries currently claim some part of it.

Most countries base their claims off the United Nations Law of the Seas, which says a country’s territory extends 200 miles off its shores, an area called the exclusive economic zone, or EEZ. Any trade or resources that fall in a country’s EEZ belong to that country; they’re its sovereign territory. Any area that is not in an EEZ is considered international waters and subject to UN maritime law, meaning it’s shared by everyone. Every country in the region, which includes Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei, and Vietnam, bases its claim to the South China Sea on the UN’s EEZ laws — except China.

China argues it has a historical claim to the South China Sea, dating back to naval expeditions in the 15th century. After World War II, the Japanese Empire lost control of the South China Sea, and China took advantage of the moment to reclaim it. On maps, it started drawing a dashed line that encompassed most of the South China Sea. This line became its official claim and is known today as the Nine-Dash Line, because it always has nine dashes. In 1973, when the UN law established EEZs, China reaffirmed its Nine-Dash Line, refusing to clarify the line’s boundaries and rejecting other countries’ claims.

Since then, tensions have built around who rightfully owns the South China Sea. The dispute has centered on the Spratly Islands, an archipelago at the heart of the South China Sea. Currently, China, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam claim some part of the Spratly Island chain. They’ve asserted their claims by putting small buildings, ports, and even some people on what are essentially rocks in the middle of the ocean.

But the Spratlys are very important, because whichever country can successfully claim them can extend its EEZ to include them, thus gaining miles of precious sovereign territory. This is why China began building up islands in 2014. By turning these rocks into military bases, the Chinese are now able to support hundreds of ships, bolstering their presence in the region. They are using fishing boats, surveillance ships, and navy destroyers to set up blockades around other countries’ islands and defend their own. This is all done very cautiously and in small steps in order to avoid sparking a wider conflict.

Since China began building islands, the disputes have not become violent. But tensions are building in the region. As China deploys more of its military to the Spratlys, other countries are getting nervous and building up their own islands. It’s a complex situation that will continue to gain international attention, for better or for worse.

[juliaelliot]

Are we going to ignore the fact they are building on reefs?

[thesgscout]

China: I step on the place 1000 years ago so this belong to me
British: *heavy breathing*

[fdl]

I saw a chinese news agency video covering about this issue. Then it said, "The Philippine Navy began to harass chinese fishermen." Although the "Philippine Navy" they are talking about is only a bamboo fishing boat with no guns or weapons.

[finny]

"We are going to war in the south china sea in 5 to 10 years"
Uploaded 4 years ago

Nervous sweating

[austinhughes]

This video misses out lots of important points and is obviously biased. The 9 dashed lines is inherited from the 11 dashed lines from the ROC government and was drawn before Vietnam and the Philippines decolonized. The Vietnamese ruler even sent Mao a letter that acknowledges China's ownership of the islands. The consensus among the countries was that nobody touches the islands in this generation, and that the future generations may have a better solution to solve the conflict. Then Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines begin to take control of more and more islands, reclaimed islands and built bases on top of them BEFORE China did any reclamation or build any bases. The US did nothing at all. Then when China started doing the same, all of a sudden China is the "bully". Vox also left out a VERY important thing about the EEZ. It does not settle disputes about sovereignty. If China or any other country has sovereignty of just 1 of the islands, it can claim 200 nautical miles of EEZ from that island. UNCLOS's EEZ does not settle this. Again, extremely important detail here is being left out.
Also, "The Hague" is just a place. There are many international bodies in "The Hague". *The body making the ruling is the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA). It is NOT the International Court of Justice(ICJ) arm which is part of the UN. The PCA is not part of the UN judicial body* The intentional vague reports of merely using "the Hague" is so misleading. Arbitration by definition means "the hearing and determining of a dispute or the settling of differences between parties by a person or persons chosen or agreed to by them". China did not agree to it, and thus, it is by definition not a real arbitration. It is a kangaroo court. Not to mention that the US did not even ratify the UNCLOS. Vox obviously didn't do its research thoroughly.

[clarkpangilinan]

*In a egg hunt event*

Philippines: Wow I got a lot of eggs.
Malaysia: Yeah me too.
Vietnam: Oohhh I got a lot too.
China: *Hippity Hoppity this eggs is my property*

[apolloniusathenekles]

China: these islands belong to us historically


Mongolia: Aha come to papa!

[HowardGabrielPWacan]

I'm from the Philippines and I don't care that Malaysia, Vietnam or Brunei claims islands that we claim too, but a country that is using unrightful evidences just to get these islands.... nope...

[margustoo]

Why you guys show Taiwan under China?? They may claim it but they don't own that island..

[SL]

Where is Ghengis Khan when you need him.

[chickenpuddingstudio]

I have also read news from the Chinese government which say that Vietnamese fishing boat is attacking their ship while you can clearly see small wooden Vietnamese fishing ship get ramped and sunk by Chinese big coast guard ship. That's why the Vietnamese are building more and more of their own coast guard to deal with china aggression

[wolfy]

China now: We have historical claims to these islands.
China in 2030: We have historical claims to the Philippians.
China in 2050: We have historical claims to the entire Asian continent.

[odyssey.pedals]

Well China in that case, India owns the Indian ocean

[kaizer]

Basically what Israel is doing... Yeah i said it

[aethproxima]

CCP: It is ours because of historical claims!
Mongols: *Hold my 13th century map*

[JG-gnoq]

2060
China: we have a history of 1000 dash line, we own Earth

[ztf]

No mention about damage to the natural environment?

[Ome]

Great, ruin the few healthy coral reefs we have left.
It's not like the great barrier reef is already on it's deathbed.

[jeepmega]

Russia and China have a thing in common:
Using the " I was here years ago so this place belongs to me " tactic to expand their territory.

[alvinarce]

Chinas evidence of territorial claim in a nutshell:

China: Ancient Chinese ancestors stared at the stars and the whole universe. Therefore, the whole universe belongs to us.