On the night of Monday (Swiss time), ships from the Philippine and Chinese coast guards clashed. Both sides accuse the other of doing it intentionally. The incident is part of a long-simmering conflict. SRF Southeast Asia correspondent Martin Aldrovandi assesses the situation.
Martin Aldrovandi
Southeast Asia correspondent
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Martin Aldrovandi has been reporting from Southeast Asia as a correspondent for Radio SRF since spring 2023. Previously, from 2016 to summer 2022, he was the correspondent for Radio SRF in Northeast Asia, based in Shanghai. Before that, he had reported from Chinese-speaking countries as a freelance journalist for several years.
What happened?
The statements from both sides are contradictory. The Chinese side has released a black and white video that claims to show that the Philippine side deliberately collided with the Chinese ship. The Philippine side, on the other hand, speaks of Chinese aggression. But it is also important to say that the collision took place within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone – and if you look at the location on the map, you can see that it is quite far away from China and quite close to the Philippines.
What does China want in the South China Sea?
It claims almost the entire area for itself, citing historical claims. There is the so-called Nine-Dash Line, which stretches from China all the way to the south – and also overlaps with the exclusive economic zones of the neighboring countries. In 2016, an arbitration court in The Hague rejected China’s claims and ruled in favor of the Philippines. I was able to speak to the man who brought the case a while ago: He is very frustrated because the court cannot enforce the ruling. China relies on the right of the strongest – the Filipinos have little to counter this.
Caption: After the ship collision, the Philippine Coast Guard published pictures that are said to show the damage to a supply ship. A second ship of the same type is also said to have suffered minor damage. (Image: 19.08.24) Philippine Coast Guard via AP
What does the conflict mean for the people in the region?
Many of the local people have made their living from fishing for generations. Now some of them are being driven out of these areas and can no longer fish there. This has economic consequences for entire coastal areas. Those affected complain that the Philippine coast guard cannot really protect them. China not only deploys warships or the coast guard, but also Chinese fishermen, who outnumber the Filipinos and intimidate and drive them away.
Why is the area so important for both sides?
The incident occurred southeast of the Sabina Reef, which is important for the Philippines because there are large gas reserves there that they want to tap into. Beijing wants to prevent that. The nearby “Second Thomas Reef” is important for controlling the sea routes. The Philippines have a few soldiers stationed there on an old, decommissioned warship. They deliberately ran it aground there in order to hold their position, so to speak.
This is the nine-dash line
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Legende:
Shutterstock/shubhamtiwari
China claims almost the entire South China Sea for itself. Official maps show a U-shaped area demarcated by nine lines that stretches east of Taiwan south towards Malaysia and then north again along the Vietnamese coast. The area, which is over 3.6 million square meters in size, includes numerous islands, atolls and reefs.
The USA and several neighboring countries are citing international law in their opposition to the nine-dash line. According to this law, a territorial claim without physical presence is inadmissible.
Last summer, the line caused a stir around the release of the Barbie movie. This exact card was shown in the film. Vietnam then banned the film. Curious: It was not the first time that the controversial card appeared in a Hollywood film.
What does diplomacy look like?
In July, the Philippines and China actually signed an agreement. Not much is known about it, but it is said to have been about the supply of soldiers stationed there. The Philippines have been more assertive since Ferdinand Marcos Junior took office. Under the previous Duterte government, they were still trying to get closer to China.
Is there a risk of escalation?
That is difficult to say. In the South China Sea, not only the Philippines and China are represented, but also other neighboring states and the USA. The latter want to mark their presence and show that they do not accept China’s claims. The neighboring states are therefore increasingly seeking proximity to Washington. In this constellation, misunderstandings with unintended consequences can certainly arise.
