The Geographical Niche for Strategically Goals: South China Sea

   

                                                                                             

If the world’s powers are magnetized toward the South China Sea because of the growing power of China then it is the exact answer. If we observe the USA behavior, we observed that enmity or aggression is not new. The first incident occurred in 1998 when USA’s reconnaissance plane crashed with the Chinese fighter jet. Now this important gateway for commercial and merchant shipping and a subregion for economic and strategic subjects under Indo-Pacific Region. These subjects cause very complex territorial disputes.

Too many boundaries are connected with the South China Sea as Brunei, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. Geography dominates geopolitics. The commercial merchant activities fertile the economic growth of the region. While Japan and South Korea are heavily dependent on sea routes for their exports and imports. The diversifications of these routes give broad independence from the South China sea routes. The real bone of contention is the undiscovered oil and gas reserves cause territorial and maritime disputes. The major maritime points are the Spratly Islands, Paracel Islands, Pratas, the Natuna Islands, and Scarborough Shoal. Claiming on these islands, actual cause of territorial dispute between compilators. China, Vietnam, Taiwan, the Philippines, and Malaysia are the prime contenders of this compilation. Taiwan also protects the American Interests, but if we wanted to observe the direct involvement, then Australia is the biggest example. USA investment in the Australian military provided them freedom as:

1. Economically
2. Trade and Navigation
3. Geopolitically

The additional help is provided by the Southeast Asian partners of the USA against the Chinese claim of the Islands. Japan sold its military equipment to the Philippines and Vietnam to deter Chinese aggression and improve its security ties. But Chinese move does not dependent on security terms but also geoeconomic terms.

The USA’s interests heavily depend on geopolitics. The biggest concern is a free navigation area with secured sea lines of communication. The Chinese threat to the SLOC’s because of all kinds of military movements and trade routes are SLOCs. So the Chinese claim threatens them. In recent years, the USA puts its military activities on the fast track. Natural resources are the major cause of this territorial dispute. Both powers considered this region as strategic leverage and they systematically disturb the peace of the region.