China's Nine-Dash Line

China's Nine-Dash Line

What is China's Nine-Dash Line?

Future research

What is China's Nine-Dash Line? (cont.)

China's Nine-Dash Line is a demarcation line drawn by the People's Republic of China in the South China Sea, claiming eighty percent of the area. The Nine-Dash Line encompasses much of the claimed waters and territories of the Philippines, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam. (Zhiguo & Bing Bing, 2013)

Beijing claims sovereignty over all the islands in the South China Sea, including the Zhongsha (Macclesfield Bank and Scarborough Shoal), Xisha (Paracel), and Nansha (Spratly) Islands and maintains it has the right to exercise its authority over these areas (McDevitt, 2013).

Future research can be undertaken on the Nine-Dash Line by examining China's and others' historical claims in the South China Sea. In 2020 and beyond, scholars can research China's rising position on the regional and world stage and compare that to the history of China's position on the Nine-Dash Line.

Surpises about China's Nine-Dash Line

Why this topic is interesting to me

This topic is interesting to me, because China's Nine-Dash Line represents China's push to claim more territory in the region. This push is significant, because it is accompanied by China's rise as the world's top economic and military power.

It was surprising to me that the Permanent Court of Arbitration at the Hague can hear the plea from the Philippines about the Nine-Dash Line. I did not know that the Philippines felt so deeply on the issue and that now the issue is not unique to just China and the Philippines. The entire world can give its input on the issue.

Relation to course material (cont.)

Why this topic is interesting to others

Audrey Young would say that the Nine-Dash Line might have implications for China's membership in the myriad regional organizations that could be impacted. Barbara Watson Andaya would say that the Nine-Dash Line is representative of China's historical influence on Southeast Asian culture.

This topic is interesting to others, because there are many issues regarding sovereignty caused by China's Nine-Dash Line on the regional and even the global stage. The South China Sea itself is rich in natural resources and oil and gas. Half of the world’s sea commerce passes through the South China Sea. (East Asia Policy Studies, 2014)

History

Relation to course material (cont.)

Historically, China claims it has utilized the area of the Nine-Dash Line for trade and navigation for centuries. During the Spring and Autumn Period (475-221 BC), the Chinese term for the South China Sea, "Nan Hai", was first used. This has provided the Chinese with evidence for a proper historical claim. (Zhiguo & Bing Bing, 2013)

Louis D. Hayes would say of the Nine-Dash Line and the issues in the South China Sea that they are extensions of China's contemporary issues, such as that of a growing economy and military. Hayes would also remark on China's historical claims in the South China Sea.

History (cont.)

Relation to course material

The origins of China's Nine-Dash Line are found in the actions of the Republic of China (ROC) in the 1930s. The ROC's Land and Water Maps Committee surveyed and named islands in the South China Sea and stated these islands under Chinese jurisdiction in the form of a U-shaped line with eleven dashes. (Zhiguo & Bing Bing, 2013)

China's Nine-Dash Line is related to Weeks 3 and 4 on the course website. The weeks cover the maps with the countries involved from the Nine-Dash Line. They also cover the growing importance and power of China today, which extends to China's claims with the Nine-Dash Line.

History (cont.)

Future direction and response (cont.)

Since 1953, the People's Republic of China has depicted maps of the South China Sea with nine dashes (Wang, 2015).

In 2040, China will be the world's largest economy and foremost military power in the Asia-Pacific. China should like to remain peaceful in its territorial and maritime claims, but in 2040 it would be able to use force, economic or military, to support its claims. (Kaleb, 2012)

China's Nine-Dash Line today

Future direction and response (cont.)

History (cont.)

In 2020, China will be continuing their land reclamation in the South China Sea in effort to cement their territorial claims. With no major regional military power in the region, China will continue this process unabated up to 2040. (Yao Chun, 2014)

Today's controversy over the Nine-Dash Line began in 2009 when Vietnam and Malaysia sought approval by the United Nations to extend the outer limits of their continental shelves beyond 200 nautical miles, granting them larger Exlusive Economic Zones, which would extend into the Nine-Dash Line (Wang, 2015).

History (cont.)

Future direction and response

The immediate reaction was that China sent a letter addressed to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, which officially endorsed the Nine-Dash Line (Wang, 2015). In the letter, China claimed "indisputable sovereignty over the islands in the South China Sea ... as well as the adjacent waters and seabed" (Mission PRC, 2009).

The future direction of China's Nine-Dash Line will more than likely be that China continues to assert sovereignty over the South China Sea in new ways. According to Kochien (2014), China ultimately seeks full naval access to all the waters of the South China Sea; therefore, China's navy will without a doubt play a role in future disputes.

The immediate reaction was that China sent a letter addressed to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, which officially endorsed the Nine-Dash Line (Wang, 2015).

Multi-level responses (cont.)

Multi-level responses

Further, China's Nine-Dash Line has angered the populations of nations bordering the South China Sea. Many people, such as the Vietnamese, protest the Chinese "invasive action" (NTDTV, 2011).

This topic has greatly impacted the subnational, national, regional, and international levels (multi-level). On 29 May 2011, a Chinese maritime surveillance ship damaged cables used by the Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group. China did this while Vietnam was conducting oil exploration within the Nine-Dash Line. (Zhao, 2011)

Multi-level responses (cont.)

After the confrontation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam said that Vietnam has the right to conduct exploration activities within its exclusive economic zone in concordance with international law (MoFA Vietnam, 2011).

The tensions between China and its neighboring countries have attracted much media attention. Chinese newspapers, television shows, and news networks frequently report on the South China Sea. This affects the common people in China and makes them aware of the Nine-Dash Line's implications and future. (Wang, 2015)

China's Nine-Dash Line

Multi-level responses (cont.)

In response, the Chinese government has stated its opposition to Vietnam's oil and gas exploration within China's jurisdiction in the South China Sea and that what China did was consistent with normal laws of the sea (Gov PRC, 2011).

The Nine-Dash Line has affected the Chinese research community. The number of scholarly articles published in China with the title or keyword of South China Sea, "Nan Hai", have risen from 25 published in 2002 to over 2000 in 2012. This is significant, because these articles can be used to legitimize the Nine-Dash Line. (Wang, 2015)

Multi-level responses (cont.)

Since the Nine-Dash Line could result in economic sanctions between countries, the World Trade Organization could be affected (WTO). One of the main tenets of the United Nations is that international law be held by all nations; therefore, the Nine-Dash Line could infringe upon this (UN).

This confrontation is important at the subnational level of both Vietnam and China as a potential standoff between them could put businesses operating in the South China Sea at risk. Also, air and sea travel could be halted between the two countries, which would harm their economies. (East Asia Policy Studies, 2014)

Multi-level responses (cont.)

APEC could be affected since confrontations over the Nine-Dash Line could impact its harmonious business environment (APEC). China's presumptive Nine-Dash Line claims could go against PECC's guidelines of mutual respect and fairness (PECC, 2009).

This confrontation is important at the national level of both Vietnam and China as both have issued official government statements asserting their respective sovereignty in the South China Sea (Socialist Rep Vietnam, 2011; MoND PRC, 2011).

Multi-level responses (cont.)

On March 30, 2014, the Philippines submitted a plea to an international tribunal. At the core of the dispute was the overlapping jurisdiction of the Philippines and China of the Nansha islands. China claims all of the Nansha islands under its jurisdiction. (Liang Jun, 2014)

ASEAN is not the only organization that could be affected. Important regional and international arrangements in the region, such as APEC, PECC, the World Trade Organization, and the United Nations, could be affected by the Nine-Dash Line. (The Asia Foundation, 2012)

Multi-level responses (cont.)

The Philippines asserts its historical claims of the Nansha Islands in the South China Sea (Palawan Girl, 2012).

Peggy Kek from the Asia Foundation (2012) writes that the unity of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) could fall apart as many of its member countries are impacted by China's Nine-Dash Line. Several members of ASEAN have boycotted meetings and blocked votes in response to the Nine-Dash Line.

Philippines stands up to China on South China Sea

Multi-level responses (cont.)

On October 31, 2015, the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) at the Hague ruled that it has the jurisdiction to hear the claims filed by the Philippines against China over the Nine-Dash Line. This is significant, because a regional dispute can be brought to the international level for resolution. (Buang, 2015)

Finian Cullity of the ANU Southeast Asia Institute (2014) writes that the issue surrounding the South China Sea disputes today is a political, geographic, and even legal one. Many of the countries in the region, such as the Philippines and Indonesia, hold the claim that China has a weak legal case in supporting its maritime claims.

Additionally, Indonesian president Joko Wikodo refuted the legality of the Nine-Dash Line ("China's claim", 2015). Throughout the South China Sea disputes, Indonesia has been an "honest broker" in the territorial disputes in the South China Sea, with Indonesia's main goal being to support peace in the Asia-Pacific ("China's claim", 2015).

The actions by the Filipino government in making the plea is to challenge the validity of China's Nine-Dash Line. The Indonesian government as well has claimed that China has not proffered a single bit of substantial evidence supporting the Chinese claim to nearly all the South China Sea. (Beckman, Koh, & Jayakumar, page 148)