Some Advice on Peacefully Solving South China Sea Issues

Along with the increasingly intense debate over South China Sea issues, some non-South China Sea countries are uniting to besiege China. These countries, which debate vehemently over South China Sea issues, intend to gain benefits from access to the South China Sea.

The U.S. pays attention to the South China Sea because of its global strategic needs and for the purpose of enhancing its control and influence over the Asia-Pacific area. Japan’s resources are extremely scant. However, the South China Sea is the most obvious way of connecting Japan to the rest of the world; therefore, the Japanese government is currently promoting its “Entering the South Sea Strategy.” India’s involvement in South China Sea issues is completely a speculative strategy. The South China Sea is not the Indian Ocean; it is not essential to India’s national defense. India’s explicit involvement in the issues merely follows the diplomatic strategies of England, which aligned itself with Japan in 1902 to circumscribe Russia. India’s purpose is to limit China from the east. Curiously, India, which has support from the Persian Gulf, will ask for special access to the South China Sea’s oil and gas.

To deal with the issues well also tests China’s intelligence in politics and diplomacy. The solution to South China Sea issues does not follow any guidelines or tactics, but requires a fundamental principle, which is to put peace first. Therefore, assuaging [tensions] is the first step. Regarding the intention of the countries surrounding the South China Sea to occupy the sea in recent years, China should employ rational, advantageous and polite principles and enhance action on these issues by employing economic, diplomatic, military and other strategies.

In terms of the economy, China should enable ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) to better depend economically on China through economic exchange and cooperation. In recent years, China and ASEAN have rapidly developed a economic and trading relationship. ASEAN is currently China’s third biggest trading partner, while China has become ASEAN’s biggest trading partner and first exporting destination. Simultaneously, the stable political development also propels the development of a mutual economic and trading relationship. Since 2004, China has been Vietnam’s biggest trading partner. The economic relationship will become the first victim of military hostility, which is a result that both China and Vietnam want to avoid.

In terms of diplomacy, China should tackle the relationships with pertinent countries well, especially the U.S. If China wants to solve the South China Sea issues, it must first eliminate or try to decrease the interference and interruption from the U.S. on the South China Sea. Meanwhile, China should also enhance its friendly relationships with surrounding countries.

In terms of military, China should enhance its naval strength as soon as possible to weaken the U.S.’ advantage in this field. Hence, China should accelerate the construction of aircraft carriers, new nuclear submarines and huge warships to enhance its capability in an ocean war. Along with the increasing amount of threats on China’s foreign profits, China should try to create a “Blue Water Navy” equipped with the ability to wage oceanic war. At the same time, China should dedicate itself to improving oceanic mobility and strategic projection capability and produce large warships, new submarines with reasonable underwater self-control and invisibility, supersonic navigation war planes, long-distance missiles with accurate penetration ability and other next-generation weapons.

In terms of strategy, China should enhance contact and communication with the Taiwanese army. Recently, the civil societies in both China and Taiwan have been advocating safe cooperation in the South China Sea area and are urging the protection of China’s sovereignty on the South China Sea. After the achievement of “San Tong” between mainland China and Taiwan, mainland China has frequently expressed the hope to construct a military trust system between China and Taiwan.

A peaceful solution to South China Sea issues will be attained. An unstable South China Sea doesn’t benefit anyone. China should incorporate and propel the four aspects mentioned above to enable them to help solve South China Sea issues.

The author is a professor at the National Defense University PLA China.