Solving Disputes for Regional Cooperation and Development in the South China Sea. A Chinese Perspective

218 Pages·2013·2.473 MB·English

by  Shicun Wu (Auth.)

Solving Disputes for Regional Cooperation
and Development in the South China Sea
Chandos
asian studies series
Series Editor: Professor Chris Rowley,
Centre for Research on Asian Management, Cass Business School,
City University, UK; HEAD Foundation, Singapore
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Solving Disputes for
Regional Cooperation and
Development in the South
China Sea
A Chinese perspective
W S
u hicun
Oxford Cambridge Philadelphia New Delhi
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First published in 2013
ISBN: 978-1-84334-685-2 (Chandos)
ISBN: 978-0-85709-207-6 (Woodhead)
ISBN: 978-1-78063-355-8 (online)
Chandos Asian Studies Series ISSN: 1759-5347 (print) and ISSN: 2052-2126 (online)
Library of Congress Control Number: 2013952177
© S. Wu, 2013
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The project received the financial support of the Chinese Fund for the Humanities and Social
Sciences (中华社会科学基金).
Typeset in the UK by Concerto.
Printed in the UK and USA.
List of figures and tables
Figures
2.1 The compass used by Chinese fishermen 32
3.1 The U-shaped line 78
Tables
3.1 Facts of China’s successive administration over the features
in the South China Sea (chronological order) 50
3.2 China’s protests against foreign invasions and fighting
against foreign troops, focusing on period from Qing
dynasty (chronological order) 66
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List of abbreviations
ASEAN Association of Southeast Asian Nations
BP British Petroleum
CLCS Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf
COC code of conduct
CPV Communist Party of Vietnam
DOC Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South
China Sea
DRV Democratic Republic of Vietnam
EEZ exclusive economic zone
ITLOS International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea
nm nautical mile
ONGC Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (India)
PRC People’s Republic of China
ROC Republic of China
ROV Republic of Vietnam
SCS South China Sea
SLOC sea-lane of communications
SRV Socialist Republic of Vietnam
UNCLOS United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization
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Acknowledgements
It is a big challenge for me to write this book. Although I have been
working on South China Sea studies for more than two decades and
published several monographs and numerous articles on South China
Sea issues and the Spratly disputes, all these are in Chinese. This is
the first time I have written a book on the South China Sea in English.
My motivation is that the topical issue of the South China Sea is never
discussed thoroughly in academia and is worth further exploring, driven
by the latest developments in the South China Sea, which has again
become a flashpoint, drawing considerable international attention and
concern. It has been a long process to complete the manuscript, given
my workload and duties as president of the National Institute for South
China Sea Studies, as well as director general of the Foreign Affairs
Office of Hainan province. I would not have been able to accomplish
this project without full support from my colleagues as well as my
family. Many of my colleagues at the institute contributed their efforts,
one way or another, to the completion of the book by providing research
materials or translations of difficult geographic names from Chinese into
English. I name just a few here who deserve my sincere appreciation:
Li Xiuling, Chen Pingping, Yan Yan, Li Jianwei, Hong Nong, Xu Fang
and Zhang Xinyue. Chow Wan Ee from Peking University made great
efforts in proofreading at the final stage of the book project. My special
appreciation also goes to my old friend Professor Keyuan Zou, Harris
Chair in International Law at the University of Central Lancashire, for
his brilliant academic advice and helpful comments. Finally, I thank my
family, who always stand on my side, for giving me persistent support
and understanding. As a token of appreciation, I dedicate this book to
them.
xiii
Preface
I have been involved in South China Sea studies for more than 20 years,
since I initiated the establishment of a centre for South China Sea studies
in Hainan province in the early 1990s. In 1992 the initial research
team began to conduct basic research by making field trips, collecting
materials and recruiting and training junior researchers. Based on the
preliminary achievements, the Centre for South China Sea Studies was
formally established in 1996, and was the predecessor of the current
National Institute for South China Sea Studies. Since then, South China
Sea studies in China have boomed, and will continue to do so in the
future. The year 2012 thus marked the twentieth anniversary of South
China Sea studies being carried out in Hainan, China.
Accompanying this anniversary of systematic studies on the South
China Sea in China gives the completion of this book project and its
publication extra value in terms of its significance as well as its academic
interest. As the reader will see, the book aims at discussing South
China Sea issues from a Chinese perspective in respect of history, law,
international politics, economy, diplomacy and geostrategy. It intends
not only to explain China’s official position on the sovereignty and
maritime disputes in the South China Sea, but also to analyse the related
factors influencing the origin and developments of these disputes. It
further assesses the complexity and internationalisation of the long-
term struggle over the South China Sea and China’s efforts towards
resolution of the disputes. The purpose of the monograph is to help
readers better understand a Chinese perspective on the complex South
China Sea disputes, including competition over sovereignty of the islets,
the islands regime and its impact on maritime delimitation, overlapping
maritime claims and how the adjacent states can cooperate to develop
the resources in the South China Sea.
xv
Regional Cooperation and Development in the South China Sea
It is hoped that the book can serve to balance different views
and perspectives concerning the South China Sea issue and territorial
disputes. Readers who are interested in these issues generally have access
to the existing literature written by Western scholars who might not fully
understand China’s perspective and which sometimes contains biased
and distorted views, while most of the literature on China’s policy and
perspective on the South China Sea is written in the Chinese language.
This book aims to fill this gap in the existing English-language literature.
Looking at the current situation in the South China Sea, tensions
have been escalating, especially between China and the Philippines and
between China and Vietnam. To maintain peace and security in the
region there is an urgent need for a mechanism for conflict management
and dispute settlement. The book looks into this aspect and suggests
means and ways of regional cooperation for the South China Sea. It is
hoped that the book can serve as a useful reference for politicians and
government officials to deal with South China Sea issues and disputes.
xvi
About the author
Wu Shicun has a PhD in history and is president and senior research
fellow of China’s National Institute for South China Sea Studies, and
deputy director of the Collaborative Innovation Center of South China
Sea Studies, Nanjing University.
Dr Wu’s research interests cover the history and geography of the
South China Sea, maritime delimitation, maritime economy, international
relations and regional security strategy. His main single-authored books
include A Study on the South China Sea Disputes (Hainan Publishing
House, 2005) and The Origin and Development of the Nansha Disputes
(Ocean Press, 1999). His main edited books include Maritime Security in
the South China Sea (Ashgate, 2009), Selective Studies on World Famous
Island Economic Bodies (World Knowledge, 2006) and Collection of
Documents Relating to South China Sea Issues (Hainan Publishing
House, 2001). Dr Wu has published widely in academic journals and
been the subject of frequent media interviews as a senior commentator
on South China Sea issues.
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