NeutralCitizen
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Disputes over overlapping territorial claims in the South China Sea have drawn the attention of the world for two major strategic reasons. First, the South China Sea is the site at which the Chinese military made its transition from a land power to a sea power. Second, energy interests are a key reason behind the disputes.
Over the first half of the past 30 years, China adopted a conservative national strategy and economic affairs were at the core of its internal and foreign policies. It adopted a moderate stance on its sovereignty claims on islands in the South China Sea, giving priority to foreign affairs.
However, after the mid-1990s and particularly at the turn of the new century, the strategic significance of the South China Sea for the country has grown. As mainland China has become the world's largest exporter of industrial products and a leading importer of raw materials and energy, traditional land power is not enough to meet its increasing need for security.
Meanwhile, a power vacuum has appeared in the South China Sea after the United States and Russia successively withdrew following the end of the Cold War. Over the past 20 years, a series of China-US conflicts, mainly triggered by tensions in the Taiwan Strait and the bombing of China's embassy in Belgrade in 1999, have triggered a Chinese military transformation.
The South China Sea, located between the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean at the crossroads of the Australian and Asian continents, is of great strategic importance in the geography of the Asia-Pacific. China, which is seeking to increase its sea power, needs to develop southward to avoid a direct conflict with the US army in the Pacific.
Moreover, more than 60% of China's outbound navigation lines pass through the South China Sea, while economic and trade relations with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are crucial in its economic and foreign affairs. Therefore, if China fails to settle the South China Sea disputes through diplomatic means, its outlook for development would be pessimistic.
Of note, cross-strait dialogue and exchanges play an important role in the recent South China Sea disputes. Both sides of the Taiwan Strait claim Chinese sovereignty over the islands in the South China Sea. Under the "92 Consensus," Taiwan and China agree that there is only one state called China, but each side defines it differently.
Yet if one side becomes involved in a conflict over the South China Sea, the other would likely extend its support.
Finally, since the sea holds abundant natural resources, Taiwan and China can cooperate to jointly exploit its oil reserves and other resources.
The greatest significance of the South China Sea in cross-strait relations comes from the fact that, so far, even though Taiwan and China have improved their relationship, they remain enmeshed in a zero-sum situation. Undoubtedly, the South China Sea issues offer the possibility of a win-win solution to both sides, given the common areas of responsibility and interest.
Over the first half of the past 30 years, China adopted a conservative national strategy and economic affairs were at the core of its internal and foreign policies. It adopted a moderate stance on its sovereignty claims on islands in the South China Sea, giving priority to foreign affairs.
However, after the mid-1990s and particularly at the turn of the new century, the strategic significance of the South China Sea for the country has grown. As mainland China has become the world's largest exporter of industrial products and a leading importer of raw materials and energy, traditional land power is not enough to meet its increasing need for security.
Meanwhile, a power vacuum has appeared in the South China Sea after the United States and Russia successively withdrew following the end of the Cold War. Over the past 20 years, a series of China-US conflicts, mainly triggered by tensions in the Taiwan Strait and the bombing of China's embassy in Belgrade in 1999, have triggered a Chinese military transformation.
The South China Sea, located between the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean at the crossroads of the Australian and Asian continents, is of great strategic importance in the geography of the Asia-Pacific. China, which is seeking to increase its sea power, needs to develop southward to avoid a direct conflict with the US army in the Pacific.
Moreover, more than 60% of China's outbound navigation lines pass through the South China Sea, while economic and trade relations with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are crucial in its economic and foreign affairs. Therefore, if China fails to settle the South China Sea disputes through diplomatic means, its outlook for development would be pessimistic.
Of note, cross-strait dialogue and exchanges play an important role in the recent South China Sea disputes. Both sides of the Taiwan Strait claim Chinese sovereignty over the islands in the South China Sea. Under the "92 Consensus," Taiwan and China agree that there is only one state called China, but each side defines it differently.
Yet if one side becomes involved in a conflict over the South China Sea, the other would likely extend its support.
Finally, since the sea holds abundant natural resources, Taiwan and China can cooperate to jointly exploit its oil reserves and other resources.
The greatest significance of the South China Sea in cross-strait relations comes from the fact that, so far, even though Taiwan and China have improved their relationship, they remain enmeshed in a zero-sum situation. Undoubtedly, the South China Sea issues offer the possibility of a win-win solution to both sides, given the common areas of responsibility and interest.
