America Should Refrain from ‘Uniting’ the South China Sea

Commander of the United States Pacific Command Adm. Harry Harris recently visited the Philippines, including Palawan Island. The Philippine media called this Harris’ “inspection of the South China Sea situation.” Harris, along with former U.S. PACOM Adm. Scott Swift, agreed to interviews with Philippine media. The media said that China’s unsafe actions in the South China Sea have already led to increased defense measures by countries from Australia to Japan, which have asked the U.S. to step up its military presence and cooperation in the area. The U.S. has a strong interest in seeing that the situation in the South China Sea does not worsen.

The American measures of “concern” are quite out of the ordinary, and are threatening to break up the peaceful and stable expectations for the region. This is all happening in the run-up to the meeting between the Chinese and American heads of state. This author believes that American intentions and measures in the region are no longer a secret, and that it is on us to warn or admonish America from using a “united” tactic to interfere in the South China Sea.

The first tactic the U.S. is using is to try to bring the Philippines, Vietnam and other countries together into a union to oppose China. From last year to the first half of this year, U.S. military officials have repeatedly urged ASEAN nations to oppose China.* U.S. military officials have re-emphasized the duty of the U.S. to maintain peace and security in East Asia for the sake of its allies. The U.S. has used rhetoric to phrase the discourse as one of the U.S. protecting its weaker allies, while framing China as a bully. This method has made it much more difficult for China to resolve the issues in the South China Sea with regional countries.

The second tactic is relying on and borrowing from international law and the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, or UNCLOS. To date, the U.S. has not signed UNCLOS, but has invoked its name and said that all countries should abide by it. The U.S. believes that China and its actions in the South China Sea are inhibiting navigation of “international waters,” and preventing free navigation of the sea. This is, without a doubt, an excuse to remain involved in the region. The U.S. has purposefully misinterpreted UNCLOS to say that it guarantees economic development and marine research rights in its exclusive economic zone, but doesn’t allow for countries to discourage foreign navies or observatory actions in that region. This is clearly a case of “bully logic.”

The third tactic is the encouraging of other countries to exploit natural resources to inhibit China. A few countries in the region, spurred by the desire for economic benefit, have engaged in small expansionary policies with regard to natural resources in the South China Sea. These countries typically lack the technology or skill to extract these resources, but they have ample capital to help bring in Western companies to do the work for them and plunder natural gas and oil. There are currently more than 200 companies engaging in development and prospecting activities in the South China Sea, with most of them coming from the U.S. and China. If there are ever armed conflicts in the region, America can now interfere on behalf of its overseas companies, and is able to use this possibility of conflict as a reason to continue its influence in the region.

The fourth tactic involves using the threat of increased military presence to scare China. To inhibit the rise of China, the U.S. has engaged in the threatening use of increased surveillance of Chinese forces. The U.S. Navy has stepped up surveillance activities in the Spratly and Paracel Island chains. In reality, the U.S. is using the so-called “right of free navigation of the South China Sea” and “unfettered access” to continuously deploy ships, planes and other military craft to the region. The U.S. has used these tools to conduct reconnaissance on China’s electromagnetic, hydrological and other related spheres, which poses a threat to Chinese national security.

The U.S. has used the strategy of “uniting” in the South China Sea, which has resulted in the situation becoming increasingly complex. With regard to China, the American entrance into the South China Sea issue is becoming an unavoidable strategic problem. The continued American actions in the South China Sea will greatly influence the U.S.-China relationship, China and ASEAN nation relations, and Chinese military strategy. These issues will require objective and calm consideration from both sides to resolve.

*Editor’s Note: ASEAN stands for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, a geopolitical and economic organization of countries that includes Brunei, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia.