SOLUTION of tensions in the South China Sea lies in Chinese President Xi Jinping’s doable proposal of creating a Maritime Community with a Shared Future (MCSF) that aims to provide paths for global ocean governance. MCSF’s concept features the prevention of confrontation between China and Philippines and even other claimants over maritime territorial sovereignty by offering insights to all stakeholders to hold dialogue and sit together to iron out disagreements in an amicable way. Current flare-up that centred on the Ren’ai Jiao in South China Sea due to Philippines’ violation of commitment and denying established protocols could have been warded off. Future unrest in the South China Sea is also likely to be fended off provided President Xi’ vision is given a chance to come into play to establish peace in the region.
MCSF’s proposition was tabled on April 23, 2019, in a meeting with heads of foreign delegations invited to participate in multinational naval events in Qingdao. On the occasion, President Xi Jinping, who is also the Chairman of the Central Military Commission, set the goals to build “a maritime community with a shared future pointing out that the earth is not divided into islands by the oceans, but is connected by the oceans to form a community with a shared future, where all the States share weal and woe in the marine security, economy, culture, and ecological environment. MCSF also discusses the law of the sea to implement various forms of global ocean governance. MCSF’s goal is to capitalize on China’s institutional capabilities to universalize its own interpretations of development, civilization, and security in the South China Sea. Through this process, Beijing aims to complete a “passive revolution” in the disputes.
Before the MCSF, China proposed “economicizing disputes” in 1982, urging joint development to set aside conflicts. Despite initial agreements with the Philippines (since 1986) and Vietnam (since 1995), joint exploration projects in the South China Sea had limited success by 2005. However, they established a precedent for future economic cooperation. In 2017, China initiated economic cooperation in the South China Sea, emphasizing maritime projects at the Bo’ao Economic Forum. This initiative, continued in 2018 and 2019, aimed to foster cooperation in maritime economics, marine science, and logistics, with potential integration into the BRI.
Chinese local governments have bolstered national efforts by establishing maritime trade routes through the South China Sea. The Brunei-Guangxi Economic Corridor (BGEC), launched in 2014, was the first such route. Following this, the International Land-Sea Trade Corridor (ILSTC) project connected Chongqing to Singapore via rail-sea routes, with significant progress made by September 2017. Additionally, under the Chongqing Connectivity Initiative (CCI), the ILSTC route expanded to include connections to Indonesia through ports in the Gulf of Tonkin. These initiatives underscore China’s commitment to enhancing maritime trade and connectivity in the region. Furthermore, Hainan province announced plans to develop Woody Island and other Paracel Islands into a strategic logistics centre by early 2019.
After more than decades of efforts to “economicize” the South China Sea, the ILSTC corridor is now emerging as an important project in China’s 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) and receiving the participation of many members of the ASEAN bloc. Based on this cohesive foundation, China has simultaneously deployed the remaining two pillars of “securitization” and “civilization” to cement its influence in Southeast Asia – and particularly the South China Sea. Under the “securitization” pillar, joint patrols and exercises, from bilateral to multilateral, play a core role in setting the foundations. Eventually, China hopes to unite the common security interests of nearby countries in its “Maritime Community With a Shared Future” in the South China Sea.
Recently, in order to de-escalate in South China Sea and China’s indisputable sovereignty over the Nansha Islands, which includes Ren’ai Jiao, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning reiterated China’s stance, emphasizing its commitment to managing the situation through dialogue and consultation with the Philippines. However, recent developments, including the grounding of a Philippine warship at Ren’ai Jiao, escalated tensions.
China contends that the presence of the Philippine warship violates both its sovereignty and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), particularly Article 5, which prohibits actions to inhabit presently uninhabited islands and reefs. China demands the immediate removal of the warship to restore Ren’ai Jiao’s status as unoccupied territory. However, China also expresses willingness to allow the Philippines to send humanitarian aid to the warship, provided proper notification and verification processes are followed.
Furthermore, China warns against any attempts by the Philippines to construct permanent facilities on Ren’ai Jiao, vowing to resist such actions to uphold its sovereignty and the sanctity of the DOC. Beijing also criticized the United States, Japan, and the Philippines for their recent trilateral meeting in Washington, defending its actions in the South China Sea as lawful. The meeting came after US President Joe Biden pledged to defend the Philippines from any attack in the disputed waters. A joint statement from the trio voiced serious concern over Beijing’s behaviour in the region, describing it as dangerous and aggressive. China, which claims almost the entirety of the South China Sea, denounced the summit, accusing the countries involved of manipulating bloc politics and hurting regional security and interests. Chinese President Xi Jinping’s proposal of a Maritime Community with a Shared Future offers a path to ease tensions in the South China Sea through dialogue and cooperation, but recent escalations highlight ongoing challenges to regional stability.
—The writer is contributing columnist.
