China Has Been Building Artificial Islands - 1351 Words

OVERVIEW: China has been building artificial islands, shown in Figure 1, on the South China Sea, surrounded by China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei. The South China Sea is the centre of â…“ of the world s shipping transits as well as many reefs. There is also claims of potential oil and gas reserves. All of the countries have been competing for power in parts of this area; extending far from coastlines to claim many areas as possible.These territorial claims have caused disputes among the nations and building artificial islands on disputed area has caused tension and suspicions. The land reclamation has not only sparked more tension but is also damaging to the marine biodiversity. The work being undertaken†¦show more content†¦However, they feel threatened by China’s island building. All ASEAN countries have expanded their naval and air arms to safeguard their maritime interests. Retracting land is not an option as it is believed to show weakness in power and cost them domestically. UNCLOS, Environmental Activists, United Nations Environmental Program, National Centre for Coral Research and other groups There are concerns among environmentalists as the coral reefs around the world are dying. The reefs, which are one of the most diverse ones in the world, suffer from other factors such as overfishing and climate change. Scientists found that the waters contain ‘pulses’ of larval fish that restock the coastal fishes in the sea. They believe that since the South China Sea accounts for 1/10 of fish stocks for the world; the artificial islands should not be built as more than 1/4 of the world rely on it for food. SOLUTIONS: Building Multilateral Framework: Building Multilateral Framework Is the main solution to ease the conflict between China and the ASEAN countries. The 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea allows the parties to agree upon multilateral risk reductions and confidence building measures. This declaration affirmed the commitment to international law and freedom of navigation in the South China Sea. The commitment leads to the adoption of a code of conduct for the South China Sea. The Code of Conduct specifies how rights will beShow MoreRelatedA Short Note On Chinese Island Building : Problems And Proposals1578 Words   |  7 PagesAustin Bullock November 29, 2016 U.S. Response to Chinese Island Building: Problems and Proposals 1. Background The United States is currently entangled with China over the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. The location of these islands is approximately 500 miles from the Chinese mainland and also has islands claimed by numerous countries including China, the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam and Taiwan. 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