Amid row with Philippines, China issues new rules to assert control over South China Sea shoal
Under the rules, a routine patrol system will be established to promptly investigate and handle violations in accordance with the law
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Context
China has announced new management measures establishing a routine patrol system and restricting access to the Huangyan Dao National Nature Reserve, located at the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea. This policy, officially framed as ecological protection, serves to assert administrative and physical control over territory also claimed by the Philippines, escalating an already tense maritime dispute. The move follows recent confrontations between Chinese and Philippine forces near the Second Thomas Shoal and ongoing disputes over China's expansive maritime claims.
UPSC Perspectives
International Relations
This development exemplifies salami-slicing tactics—the gradual, incremental accumulation of actions that alter the status quo without provoking an immediate large-scale response. By declaring a nature reserve at Huangyan Dao (Scarborough Shoal), China is employing lawfare (the use of legal systems and institutions to achieve strategic objectives). They are creating a domestic legal framework to justify increased presence by the and military forces, thereby solidifying de facto control. This challenges the rules-based international order and directly confronts the Philippines, which has a mutual defense treaty with the United States. For UPSC, this highlights the broader geopolitical contestation in the Indo-Pacific region, where China's growing assertiveness threatens freedom of navigation and the security interests of smaller littoral states, prompting regional alignments and strategic balancing.
Geographical
The South China Sea (SCS) is a critical geopolitical chokepoint and a major artery for global maritime trade, with an estimated one-third of global shipping passing through it. It is also believed to hold significant undiscovered oil and natural gas reserves, alongside rich fishing grounds. The dispute centers around overlapping maritime claims, primarily China's expansive Nine-Dash Line, which encompasses roughly 90% of the SCS. Other claimants include the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan. Key disputed features include the Paracel Islands, the Spratly Islands (where the Second Thomas Shoal is located), and the Scarborough Shoal. UPSC often tests mapping knowledge of these features and their strategic significance concerning global trade routes and resource access.
Legal & Judicial
The core of the legal dispute rests on the (), often referred to as the 'Constitution for the Oceans'. defines maritime zones, including the Territorial Sea (up to 12 nautical miles) and the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) (up to 200 nautical miles), where a coastal state has sovereign rights over resources. In 2016, a tribunal constituted under the () at The Hague ruled comprehensively against China in a case brought by the Philippines. The invalidated China's historical claims based on the 'nine-dash line', stating they were incompatible with . China's refusal to accept this legally binding ruling demonstrates a significant challenge to international maritime law and raises concerns about the efficacy of international dispute resolution mechanisms when major powers disregard their outcomes.