[ASEAN Column] South China Sea Sovereignty Dispute, ASEAN's Joint Response

The territorial dispute over the South China Sea between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states and China has been ongoing for a long time. This dispute has a complex nature and has been regarded as unrelated to South Korea, thus receiving little attention domestically. But is this issue truly unrelated to South Korea? The South China Sea territorial dispute is not merely a matter of China demonstrating its power as a major country; it involves a more intricate calculation.

Regarding this issue, ASEAN countries have individually expressed dissatisfaction with China but have not criticized China in unison at the ASEAN level. This is because ASEAN, which has a high economic dependence on China, has tried not to make confrontations with China overt. However, there has been a recent change in this trend. At the ASEAN summit in June, Vietnam, representing ASEAN, officially criticized China’s expansion of territorial claims in the South China Sea on behalf of the community. It emphasized that China’s claims to the South China Sea are invalid under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

ASEAN, as a community, broke its silence and raised its voice because China’s aggressive and continuous expansion of territorial claims in the South China Sea has become concrete. While many ASEAN countries have been struggling with the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), China has continued very specific and aggressive moves to expand its territorial claims.

Why is the South China Sea territorial dispute so important? The South China Sea is surrounded by southern China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines, and Taiwan. China has long claimed sovereignty over 90% of the South China Sea, setting a U-shaped nine-dash line along the coast and asserting exclusive rights. China claims that it established the nine-dash line as early as 1947 during the Republic of China era.

In response, in July 2016, the United Nations Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled that China’s claims have no legal basis, but China rejected the arbitration ruling. Moreover, while the world has been battling COVID-19, China has been more openly advancing its territorial expansion moves. Since April, it has established administrative offices with Chinese names on islands in the South China Sea, expanded artificial island construction, and military facilities. There is inevitably tension in ASEAN countries’ joint response.

The long-standing dispute is not limited to China and Southeast Asia alone. Since the South China Sea is the busiest major trade route in the world through which ships from all over the world pass, South Korea also depends on the South China Sea for a significant portion of its exports and imports. Therefore, if the waters become monopolized by one country, negative impacts must be considered.

After the ASEAN summit announcement, the Cambodian government immediately stated that it wishes to maintain neutrality in the territorial dispute. China has invested enormous capital in Southeast Asian countries through its Belt and Road Initiative, and Cambodia’s position reflects a decision considering China’s capital attraction. However, ASEAN countries with high economic dependence on China breaking away from their previous reluctance to confront and raising their voices can be read as a determination not to be led around. The concrete moves such as South China Sea expansion, artificial island construction, and exclusive use of natural resources have become a significant issue that must now be addressed at the ASEAN community level.

The United States began participating in military exercises in the South China Sea starting in July. U.S. Navy vessels have also sailed through the waters, strongly criticizing China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea as illegal. Australia has joined in the criticism. The U.S. recently also asked Singapore for its stance on the South China Sea issue. South Korea may also find itself in a situation where it must declare its position on this issue. Wise diplomatic measures are needed considering South Korea’s practical interests.

Kim Hyejin, Professor of Political Science and International Studies, National University of Singapore

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.