Southern Discomfort
James A Michener’s classic novel “Hawaii” devoted a whole chapter to the growth of the Hawaiian islands from a volcanic eruption to the gradual formation of the islands over millions of years.
China is not waiting eons to develop its own new islands in the South China Sea. New islands are springing up in the area, where once atolls and reefs were that could be seen.
There has been a long-running dispute between several neighbouring countries over territorial rights to the sea. Apart from fishing rights, there are extensive oil and gas deposits in the area that all parties have their eyes on. This map shows the area and the disputed boundaries.
(With thanks to that paragon of research, Wikipedia.)
Malaysia, Brunei, Vietnam and the Philippines all lay claim to parts or all of the Spratly Islands, which sit in the vortex. But so too does China, with the exception being that China is matching their claims with actions.
China has been working over the last few years to create small islands from some of the reefs, to the extent that one such reef now boasts a 3-kilometre long airplane landing strip and several cement plants. The Chinese claim that it is within their right to do what they wish with territory that belongs to them (since they refuse to recognise other countries’ claims) and that the expansions are for research and fishing and other non-militaristic purposes.
But their neighbours disagree, and now the USA and Australia are buying into the dispute. The USA claims that these new islands threaten naval power balances in the region. China has told the US and other countries that they are not allowed to enter Chinese airspace, which includes the space over these new islands, but the rhetoric from the US and Australian navies is that they do not intend to respect China’s demands.
It has been alleged that China has moved heavy artillery onto at least one of these new islands, though there is no proof, and some analysts say that any weapons that were there have been removed.
It is a disturbing and threatening development, though one has to begrudgingly give the Chinese a hat tip for their ingenuity and speed.
The upshot is that according to some reports, China’s work to create new islands in the Spratlys and elsewhere in the area is a waste of time. Under the United Nations conventions on the law of the sea, reclaiming land such as China has done gives no special new rights to claim disputed territory.
One hopes that diplomacy and rhetoric prevail.
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